Valor Awards Program - City of Alexandria

Sergeant Michael Kochis
Bronze Medal
Officer Ryan Waple
Bronze Medal
Officer Ray Golden
Bronze Medal
SERGEANT MICHAEL KOCHIS
OFFICER RYAN WAPLE
OFFICER RAY GOLDEN
OFFICER GUSTAVO PAULINO
In the early morning hours of October 30, a
call for service was dispatched for a domestic
violence incident. The caller stated his
daughter’s boyfriend was armed with a handgun
and on the balcony and saying he wanted to
kill himself. He stated the young man had been
drinking and that he, his daughter and her 19
month-old baby were locked in an upstairs
bedroom.
Officer Ryan Waple, Officer Ray Golden and
Officer Gustavo Paulino arrived on the scene
three minutes after the call went out and began
to set up a perimeter outside the front of the
building. The apartment faced the front with the
balcony in plain view from the parking lot. There
was no one on the balcony when officers arrived.
Officer Golden retrieved his M4 rifle and took
up a position to view the balcony area of the
apartment. Additional officers took positions to
cover the front and rear of the building.
Sergeant Kochis arrived on the scene five minutes
later and took a position with other officers near
the corner of the front of the building, an area
that offered cover and concealment.
As he was being briefed on the situation, the
dispatcher came over the radio and reported
that the suspect was knocking on the locked
bedroom door where the victims were hiding.
Almost immediately another update stated that
the caller said the suspect was banging on the
bedroom door and trying to get into the locked
room.
Determining that the situation was a possible
“active violent incident,” Sergeant Kochis advised
the officers that they were going to make entry