AL HJR538

Recognizes Montgomery Police Officer Damian Lomeli as a nominee for the 2010 Alabama Legislative Medal of Honor for Law Enforcement, the state's highest law enforcement award for extraordinary courage in the line of duty.

Honors Officer Lomeli's heroic actions on May 7, 2009, during a flashflood when he and Sergeant Jennifer Smith placed themselves at great personal risk to rescue a motorist whose vehicle had been swept off the road at the intersection of McGehee Road and Debbie Drive in Montgomery.

Documents that Officer Lomeli and Sergeant Smith swam into a flooded drain to attempt extraction of the motorist from the automobile, ultimately unable to save the victim before the vehicle was swept away in the current.

Commends Officer Lomeli and Sergeant Smith for returning to work immediately after the rescue attempt, continuing to direct traffic while exhausted and unable to change clothes to prevent further deadly situations.

Directs that Officer Damian Lomeli receive a copy of this resolution as a token of admiration and esteem from the Alabama Legislature.