Police Medals Rushed to Boost Image, Official Says

Two Los Angeles police officers killed in a helicopter crash while trying to avoid a schoolyard deserved their Medals of Valor, but an official on Monday admitted that the awards were rushed through to offset bad publicity plaguing the department. Thirteen officers--including posthumous awards for the two in the helicopter and a detective killed in a shootout--are to receive the medals during ceremonies today.

The decision to honor the two helicopter officers killed in the June 13 crash was rushed through in an effort to offset some of the bad publicity the department has suffered since the March 3 videotaped beating of motorist Rodney G. King, an official said. “(It) was a political thing,” said Sgt. Ron Barnes, whose office of public relations arranged today’s ceremony. The department’s spokesman, Cmdr. Robert Gil, and other high-ranking officials said Barnes was expressing his own opinion that the award was rushed for political reasons.