President to Honor Police Officers for Stopping Hollywood Shooting Spree

Two Los Angeles police officers have been invited to the White House for a ceremony where President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will recognize their role in killing a gunman who went on a shooting spree in Hollywood.

Detective Craig Marquez and Officer Kevin C. Cotter Sr. will be among the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS award winners honored at the Rose Garden ceremony.

Marquez and Cotter shot and killed Tyler Brehm, who had walked to Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street at 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 9, pulled out a .40- caliber handgun and for an unknown reason began shooting at passersby.

Cotter was working an off-duty job at a nearby movie set, heard the shooting, and ran to help.

A few blocks away, Detective Craig Marquez was drinking a cup of coffee.

By the time the two converged on the scene, one victim had been shot and killed.

The officers, who were in plainclothes, repeatedly called on Brehm to drop his weapon, but he refused and began firing at the officers instead.

With a few well-aimed shots, they killed Benham.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief Charlie Beck commended the two officers and third — Detective Travon Dixon — for running into a dangerous situation with no body armor and no radio to call for backup from other officers.

"It's one thing to go into a situation when you're fully prepared, fully briefed, have all the equipment you need and have the ability to plan," Beck said at the time.

"It's another thing when a murderous rampage causes you to leave your off-duty job, no communications equipment, no knowledge about whether there's going to be other police officers at the scene or not, and go forth and directly challenge an armed gunman who's already taken another life. That's heroism."

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