6 police officers recognized with awards for bravery

(SAN FRANCISCO) Six police officers in the San Francisco Police Department were recognized with Officer of the Month awards for their bravery and compassion in their work. Chinatown beat officer Dexter Tsang was among the honorees for saving the life of a 15-year-old high school student who was stabbed on a Muni bus in Union Square.

The award ceremony was held on July 26 at City Hall. Six officers who were the award recipients included four Central Station officers, Dexter Tsang, Gary Kunaboot, Hector Rodarte and David Colclough, and two officers from Tenderloin Station, Chiluugin Tumurchudur and Victor Custodio.

Tsang has been a Chinatown foot beat officer for several years. On March 13 at 4:30pm, Tsang and Kunaboot were rushed to Stockton and Sutter Streets in Union Square to respond to a stabbing incident.

A 15-year-old Chinese American Galileo High School student, who was on his way to go home after school by taking the 8BX-Express bus in North Beach, was stabbed in the neck by a 12-year-old African American teen on board. He was critically injured in the stabbing.

The bus stopped in Union Square after leaving Chinatown via Stockton tunnel. Tsang and Kunaboot were among the many officers who responded to the bus and the scene. Both got on the bus, stopped the uncontrolled bleeding from the student and saved the student's life.

The other four officers were honored for working on a fatal shooting and a car burglary respectively.