Three Honolulu Police Department officers were awarded HPD’s highest award recently for their bravery during a chase and shootout with a suspect last April.

Officers Lovinna Kaniho, Keenan Lau and Nicholas Masagatani were presented the Gold Medal of Valor from Police Chief Louis Kealoha on Dec. 14. The three officers were cited for helping stop a suspect in a series of crimes who left his getaway car on Kalanianaole Highway on April 14 and, armed with a shotgun, tried to carjack a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection before shooting at responding officers.

The suspect was shot and killed. A second suspect was captured a short distance away by other officers.

Kaniho is the first female officer to be awarded HPD’s Gold Medal of Valor.

Four other officers were recognized for their actions during the same East Hono-lulu incident.

Officer Thierry Nguepdjo was awarded the Warrior Silver Medal of Valor, HPD’s second highest award; Officer Maile Nguyen received the Warrior Bronze Medal of Valor; and officers Ryan Hironaka and Jim Nguyen received Warrior Certificates of Merit.

Also recognized:

» Officer James Cavanaugh, who subdued a man who appeared to be armed and had robbed a massage business in Waimalu in April, received the Gold Medal of Valor.

» Officer Keo Mendes, who saved a woman and her infant from rising floodwaters in Waikane Stream in June, received the Warrior Silver Medal of Valor.

» Cpl. Terence Radford and Officer Patrick Widrlechner, who saved a woman whose vehicle had crashed and caught fire, received the Warrior Silver and Bronze medals of valor, respectively.

» Sgt. Russell Won, who talked an armed man out of killing himself, was awarded the Warrior Certificate of Merit.

» Officer Cary Kerber, who saved an elderly man by using a defibrillator and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, received the Warrior Certificate of Merit.

» Officer Guy Monma, who saved a distraught male who was threatening suicide, was awarded the Warrior Certificate of Merit.

» Officer Gregory Perez, who used a defibrillator to revive a man who had stopped breathing and had no pulse, received the Warrior Certificate of Merit.