Police Heroism Award
Brent Nelson,
Corporal, Santa Ana Police Department
On June 26, 2007, Cpl. Brett Nelson was preparing to end another busy shift in Santa Ana and head home to his family. He was contacted by his Sergeant, Theron Reed, who had received a request for support from members of the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Fugitive Task Force Unit. This task force received information that a subject, wanted for murder committed in Las Vegas, was hiding in an apartment complex in the northern portion of the city. The suspect was identified as a white supremacist and member of the Nazi Low Rider Criminal Enterprise. During a surveillance of the complex, the task force observed a vehicle enter the complex and noted that several of the occupants exited the vehicle. The subjects were later observed entering the vehicle carrying a duffle bag that was placed into the rear seat. As the vehicle pulled out of the apartment complex, the surveillance team was unable to positively identify any of the occupants as the suspect wanted for murder.
The Task Force requested a traffic stop on the vehicle in an attempt to identify the occupants and to avoid “tipping off” the primary suspect in the event that he had remained in the apartment complex and was related to these passengers. Cpl. Brett Nelson followed by his Sergeant and the numerous undercover vehicles pulled up behind the suspects. As he followed, he observed the right rear passenger continually looking back in his direction. After a short distance, Cpl. Nelson activated his emergency lighting and found himself alone as the second marked unit and undercover units had been left behind as they were held up in traffic.
The suspect vehicle pulled over at the gates of the Orange County Probation Department’s Youth Guidance Center which, at the time of the incident, was housing 125 youths and staff. As the vehicle came to a stop, Cpl. Nelson observed the right rear passenger of the vehicle open the door. Cpl. Nelson began to approach the suspect in front of his marked unit as the traffic stop had caused him to park close to a motor home, thereby removing cover from the passenger side of his unit. He then observed the suspect lean toward the floor board of the vehicle and come up holding an assault rifle which was later determined to be an AK47. Cpl. Nelson observed the suspect pointing the assault rifle through the rear window of the suspect vehicle and attempt to track Nelson’s movement. (It is believed that the suspect could not get a clear shot at Nelson as the headlights and spotlights distorted his vision). The suspect leaned out of the right rear door of the vehicle and pointed the assault rifle at Cpl. Nelson. Before the suspect could get off a shot, Cpl. Nelson acted bravely and without hesitation as he closed the distance between him and the suspect, subsequently firing several rounds which found their target. The suspect fell to the pavement still holding onto the assault rifle and subsequently expired at the scene.
While covering the downed suspect and the other two male occupants in the vehicle, Cpl. Nelson remained in control of the situation and was able to communicate with the other responding units providing information of his situation and location. As the other units arrived on the scene, the downed suspect was disarmed and the other two occupants were taken into custody without further incident. Inside the vehicle, officers located several other handguns accessible to the other two suspects along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Cpl. Nelson is to be commended for the heroism he displayed while facing a deadly situation. His display of bravery, along with discipline, allowed him to stay in control of the situation. His quick thinking and action made it possible for him to go home that night to his family. Any hesitation on his part could have resulted differently, costing him his life and placing the responding officers in an ambush situation. His heroism quickly ended a situation which could have escalated with the suspects entering the Youth Guidance Center and taking over a 125 hostages. There is no doubt that he was responsible for saving other lives; these suspects were prepared to continue their violent crime spree as was evident by the weapons they were carrying.
Cpl. Nelson has served above and beyond the call of duty and is deserving of the Golden Badge Foundation’s Police Heroism Award.
