Heroic acts honored
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part story profiling men and women being awarded Officer of the Year awards. They will be honored at the 41st annual banquet Feb. 24.
It was close to a year ago that Sutter County sheriff’s Deputy John Lopez helped save Megan Russell’s life. The Marysville woman, a passenger in a car that overturned into a canal and was filling with water, had been left by a drunken driver. Emergency responders came upon the scene last May and heard a muffled gurgle, but Russell was too far underwater to extricate. A winch line was wrapped around the car’s axle and the vehicle was pulled onto its side as CHP Officer Steven Klippel broke a window and pulled her out.
Russell was unconscious and not breathing when Lopez performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. It was his first time performing the lifesaving technique.
“The training just kicked in, it was kind of instinctive,” Lopez said. “Without the combined effort, we wouldn’t have been able to save her.”
Lopez was chosen as the department’s 2017 Officer of the Year, and will be honored with officers from other area departments at the 41st annual awards banquet Saturday, Feb. 24.
On Friday, Russell and Lopez met for the second time at Clements and Lincoln roads, near where she nearly lost her life. She smiled as she watched her young son, Thomas, meet Lopez’s dog Bandit, and spoke of how he took a chance in performing CPR on her even though she was essentially dead.
“He still gave me a chance,” Russell said. “I’m grateful for that.”
Lopez, 35, has been with the department for nine years and has experience in narcotics enforcement. He said one of his favorite parts of patrolling is finding drug houses and the stolen vehicles and property that comes with it.
“I’m definitely humbled and appreciative to everybody that voted for me,” he said. “Without my team, the people I work with every day, it wouldn’t become possible.” of these members of our Sheriff’s Department family deserve our everlasting gratitude.”
Harris majored in criminal justice and attended both the correctional academy and police academy at Yuba College. He went on to serve in the U.S. Naval Reserves as an explosive cargo handler and equipment handler.
He came to the department in 1995 as a correctional officer, then was promoted to deputy in 2000. During his career, Harris has served on the Search and Rescue Team and Marine Enforcement Division.
“His knowledge and expertise during the flood/ high water emergencies at the beginning of the year were instrumental in conducting water rescues,” according to a write-up provided by the department.
In 2005, he was awarded the bronze medal of merit for rescuing six people when their raft went over the Daguerre Point dam and became trapped.
In December, he, Everhart, and Bronson were awarded the gold medal of valor – the department’s highest honor. thought was) a puppy.
He and a partner were dispatched to a home after a neighbor called, hearing cries of a puppy even though the home was vacant. Claar picked up the tiny pup and took it to animal control, only to find out it was actually a baby squirrel.
“I thought I was a rock star,” Claar laughed.
Each day brings something new for Claar, but his speciality is investigating fraud cases. He said with person-to-person crimes, it can be a matter of he-said-she-said. But with fraud, it’s usually cut and dried and those cases don’t usually get the attention they deserve.
“It feels pretty cool to know that my peers selected me,” he said. “To think that there are 30 to 40 officers here and they picked me, it’s kinda special.”