City’s highest valor awards go to lifesaving firefighters and cops — including two killed in line of duty

Police Cmdr. Paul Bauer was killed in 2018 while chasing a suspect in front of the Thompson Center. On Friday, Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson presented the city’s top award for valor to Erin Bauer, who accepted the honor on behalf of her husband. | Provided

In the City Hall chambers filled with dress blues and heavy hearts, Chicago’s highest awards for valor were given Friday to three firefighters and five police officers — two of whom died while saving others.

Erin Bauer accepted the Carter Harrison Award on behalf of her husband, Cmdr. Paul Bauer, who was shot and killed outside the Thompson Center in February 2018. Bauer was downtown for a meeting with aldermen when he saw a suspect who was fleeing police and joined the chase. The pursuit ended with Bauer getting shot at the bottom of a stairwell.

Another police widow, Crystal Garcia, accepted the same award on behalf of her husband, Officer Samuel Jimenez, who was fatally shot while chasing a gunman through the halls of Mercy Hospital last year.

Chicago Police officer Samuel Jimenez

Three other officers who responded to the hospital that day also received the Carter Harrison Award, including Elvis Turcinovic, the SWAT team member who, lying on his belly at a distance of about 70 yards, shot the gunman with his rifle.

Moments earlier, the gunman fired two bullets that pierced Officer Bernardo Quijano’s holster and lodged in his gun as Quijano tried to pull a wounded doctor to safety behind a squad car in the hospital parking lot.

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson on Friday presents the city’s top award for valor to Crystal Garcia, who accepted the honor on behalf of her husband, Police Officer Samuel Jimenez, who was killed in 2018 while chasing a gunman through Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

Quijano also received the award, as did Captain Jacob Alderden, who chased the gunman.

Emergency room doctor Tamara O’Neal and pharmacist Dayna Less were killed by the gunman — who was O’Neal’s ex-fiancée.

“This is a bittersweet moment for me, but I’m proud of you all, incredibly proud,” said Supt. Eddie Johnson, who’s set to retire in six weeks.

“Thank you, thank you, for answering the call to service,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

Three firefighters were also honored with the equally prestigious Lambert Tree Award.

Firefighters David Claudio, Maximillian Avalos and Captain Robert J. Ludwig were honored with saving the life of fellow firefighter, Michael Manchester, from a blaze in March in the 1900 block of South St. Louis Avenue.

Left to right: Firefighters David Claudio, Michael Manchester, Captain Robert J. Ludwig and firefighter Maximillian Avalos

Inside a burning two flat apartment building filled with smoke, Manchester passed out on a stairwell while trying to free a fire hose that got caught on something.

Despite operating in zero visibility conditions because of the smoke, Claudio, Avalos and Ludwig found Manchester, removed debris that had trapped him and carried him to safety.

Manchester was in a coma for five days, but made a full recovery.

“We were basically doing our jobs,” Ludwig said Friday, noting that any other firefighter would have done the same.

Manchester, who attended the award ceremony, said of returning to work six weeks later: “We just thanked each other by busting each other up, making fun of each other, and then the beers were afterward, of course.”

Two other police officers who were killed in 2018 were also honored Friday.

Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo received Special Honorable Mentions.

Chicago Police Officers Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo, who were struck by a train and killed in 2018

The two were killed on South Side railroad tracks last winter while chasing a suspected gunman. They were struck by a train, the sound of which was muffled by a separate passing train.