WEST SACRAMENTO, California — Long Beach Police Department Officer Adam Yu received California’s Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor after state officials said he helped rescue a trapped passenger from a burning vehicle following a freeway pursuit crash.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced the recognition on June 16, saying Yu was one of two public safety officers honored with the medal, which the state describes as one of California’s highest honors for public-safety officers who show extraordinary courage above and beyond the call of duty.

Passenger trapped as flames spread

According to the Governor’s Office announcement, Yu responded on May 13, 2024, to a crash involving a stolen vehicle after a freeway pursuit.

The state said Yu helped remove multiple occupants from the vehicle. He then learned that one person remained trapped inside as flames began engulfing the vehicle.

Officials said Yu led fellow officers back to the burning car and helped free the trapped passenger, saving her life moments before the vehicle became fully engulfed.

State recognition for front-line courage

The Medal of Valor program is run through a nomination and review process led by the California Department of Justice and the Medal of Valor Review Board. In the same announcement, California also honored Fresno Police Department Sergeant George Imirian with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor.

“When faced with grave danger, these courageous officers didn’t hesitate to put their lives on the line to protect and defend others,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the state announcement.

For public-safety supporters, Yu’s recognition is the kind of story that shows how quickly a patrol response can turn into a life-or-death rescue: a crash scene, spreading fire, a trapped passenger and officers choosing to go back toward the danger.

Sources reviewed

Editorial note: ThinBlueNews used source-reported facts and an official State of California ceremony photo with attribution. The article avoids adding unverified crash, pursuit or passenger details beyond what the state publicly released; no AI-generated rescue imagery was used.