Correctional Police Officer Joshua Ruiz accepts the Medal of Valor from De-
partment of Corrections Acting Commissioner Marcus Hicks. Commissioner’s Challenge Award winner Jeffrey Konopada with wife Cris-
tina and son Trevor.
There are more and more correctional police officers like Joshua
Ruiz who are doing just that. Ruiz had just completed his tour at
East Jersey State Prison and was on his way home at 1:30 a.m., driv-
ing down a quiet street in Union City, when he heard a loud voice.
A woman was screaming in Spanish, and Ruiz understood that
she was shouting about her fear of being raped. He saw that a male
had her up against a car.
“I got out, assessed the situation, saw what was going on, and did
what I had to do,” Ruiz described. “He was intoxicated, so I had to
get him under control. It took a bit of physical pressure to restrain
him, but I did.”
For his response, Ruiz was awarded the Department of Correc-
tions Medal of Valor, the highest award given to officers each year
that recognizes “extraordinary bravery in the face of extreme dan-
ger.” He also was honored with a Bronze Medal of Valor from the
American Corrections Officers, which will be awarded at its National
Conference on Oct. 12 in Oklahoma City.
The DOC Medal of Honor began the awards ceremony that cul-
minated the day in Trenton. More than 20 correctional police offi-
cers were recognized for responses that included rescuing victims trapped in a car fire, rescuing a 6-year-old boy drowning in the
ocean, digging out people who were trapped when a dump truck
spilled its goods on them in a vehicle crash and many other acts of
honor and bravery.
One of those was Konopada, who earned a Commissioner’s Chal-
lenge Award for his off-duty response in helping a woman who had
just broken off a relationship and was in fear of her ex.
“I saw a woman who was in pain, and I felt bad,” he shared. “As a
person, as an officer, I had to respond the right way.”
By the end of the ceremony, there was little doubt about how cor-
rectional police officers keep everybody safe. At the end of the day,
State Senator Jeff Van Drew from Millville felt compelled to reiterate
the efforts being recognized here, and every day from this day for-
ward.
“In every way, it is a difficult job, so I think it’s so important to
know how proud we are of them, how much we consider them true
heroes,” the senator concluded. “Sometimes, we’re looking for he-
roes in Washington, which is ridiculous, or we’re looking for heroes
in you know, celebrities, which is also pretty ridiculous. Because the
real heroes are these men and women.” d
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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