by Mindy Aguon, KUAM News Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Subscribe to Mindy's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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While family members of Rey Garcia, the man who was shot multiple times and killed by police, await the completion of an investigation into the tragic shooting, today the Guam Police awarded the second-highest award for bravery to an officer involved in the shooting. And curiously, GPD isn't releasing many details about the Medal of Valor award.

GPD spokesperson Officer Allan Guzman said the Medal of Valor is "Given to an individual who distinguishes himself or herself by exhibiting bravery and heroism in the performance of his or her official worthwhile act, involving extremely great personal risk and imminent peril of loss of life, which is clearly far and above beyond the call of duty. The Medal of Honor will be given out today, we have one recipient for that."

While the officer who was awarded the Medal of Valor wasn't present during today's ceremony, KUAM News attempted to learn more about the dangerous circumstances that led to the officer's heroic action that saved the lives of officers and civilians. Police Commander Colonel Joaquin Reyes announced, "His supervisor wrote him up for that; I went through our Awards Committee members they reviewed it and they all agreed that the officers action at the time of the incident merited the valor medal."

While the Police Department was happy to give out the award, they aren't so quick to discuss the incident. "I can't discuss the incident, because it is still under investigation by us. We're still investigating that," Col. Reyes said. Asked what aspects GPD may be investigating relative to the case, "We're investigating that's all I can tell you."

KUAM News has been able to confirm that the Medal of Valor was awarded in connection with the officer's involvement in the Rey Garcia shooting last October of last year at Veteran's Cemetery. Garcia at the time was mourning the loss of a family member and had been distressed when he was shot multiple times by police, who say he was carrying a gun. Family members have waited more than seven months for answers, specifically whether any of the officers were negligent during the shooting.

Reyes says the family will have to wait even longer until the department completes its investigation. When noting how Garcia's family have been extremely upset about the fact that the Medal of Valor was given, and asked if he had any response to them., Reyes said, "That's still under investigation, the whole incident is still under investigation. I can't respond to it right now," saying he had no such comments for the mournful family.

"It's unfortunate that that happened, but I can't comment any further than that."

(It should be noted that just last month police chief Paul Suba told KUAM that GPD was merely wrapping up its reports on the shooting and had provided the information to the FBI and the Attorney General's Office.)