Officers Who Detained Man With Loaded Ghost Gun at Chula Vista Block Party Among Honorees of Heroes Award

Dozens of civilians, police officers city employees and volunteers were honored on the front steps of the Chula Vista Police Department during the 31^st annual Honoring Heroes Awards & Recognition Ceremony.

While so many uniforms were off the clock for the ceremony, their colleagues kept watch as more than 20 awards were handed out on stage by Chief Roxana Kennedy.

The stories behind the awards include a potential shooting thwarted at the Chula Vista Block Party, a calm 911 dispatcher and an Amazon driver who chased down a purse thief, according to a department press release highlighting the awards.

Officer Joshua Symonette and Agent Henry Ingram were awarded the North San Diego Business Chamber hero award for their bravery on July 8, 2022, the day of the city-sponsored downtown block party that sees around 40,000 visitors. The department's press release noted the event was held amid elevated tension nationwide following major tragedies like the shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Highland Park, Illinois.

Both Symonette and Ingram, members of the department’s Street Team and Gang Suppression Unit, noticed a “man carrying a cross-body bag acting suspiciously.”

The officers recognized the suspect from his frequent social media postings displaying firearms, police said. When they detained him, they found he was armed with a ghost gun classified as an assault weapon, fully loaded with a round in the chamber and an extended 30-round magazine.

"The man’s motive may remain unknown but what is clear about that night is Officer Symonette and Agent Ingram were steadfast and vigilant as they searched for dangers to keep the community and block party attendees safe," the city said.

The suspect has been charged with six felonies.

The Citizen Exceptional Service Award went to Amazon driver Jeremy Magno, who in December of 2022, was busy delivering the last of his packages for the day when a frantic woman flagged him down for help. Her passenger had attacked her and was stealing her purse. Magno jumped into action.

“I chased him down until he dropped it and returned the purse to the lady.”

The suspect got away, for now, but there is a warrant out for his arrest.

Officer Ryan Culver received the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award for making more than 50 DUI arrests in one year.

“Every time that we take an impaired driver off the road, not only are we saving them from hurting or killing themselves, we’re saving them from having to live with the knowledge they may have hurt or killed somebody else,” Officer Culver said.

Preventing potential tragedy with each arrest and maybe even forcing a breakthrough, a turning point with others.

"Sometimes that’s the wake-up they need to start making a difference and healing from whatever it is that they’re struggling with,” Culver said.

While civilians like Magno are not outfitted in uniform, they were all on the same page Thursday.

“Just somebody looking to do the right thing all the time,” Culver said.

The awards can serve as a reminder that not every hero wears a badge. They might drive an Amazon truck, instead.