Santa Barbara Police Officer Sean Zosimo was recognized for valor during Wednesday’s H. Thomas Guerry Awards after an eventful night patrol shift in November.
Zosimo, who transferred to the department two years ago, responded to a liquor store robbery and de-escalated the confrontation with the suspect, who walked toward him with a knife, Police Chief Kelly Gordon said.
Zosimo was able to keep his calm in a high-stress situation and called for backup, she said.
He “intentionally placed himself in a position of greater risk knowing it would allow for potential de-escalation,” she said.
After warning the suspect to stop and him not complying, Zosimo tasered the suspect, who dropped the knife and fell to the ground, Gordon said.
“He used excellent restraint, officer safety tactics and the appropriate amount of force to apprehend a very dangerous and violent criminal who brandished a knife at him,” she said.
“But that wasn’t enough for one day.”
On the same shift, Zosimo responded to a burglary call at another local business, and when he arrived saw the suspect trying to flee. Zosimo was able to catch and control the suspect until more officers arrived to help take the person into custody, Gordon said.
“Officer Zosimo’s actions in this one shift reflect not only his outstanding daily performance” but the department’s “reverence for the sanctity of human life when responding to high stress, potentially dangerous encounters,” she added.
Zosimo said he’s honored to get the award. At the award ceremony, he recalled the robbery suspect’s “thousand-yard stare” while holding the knife and walking toward him.
Getting a violent person into custody, without anyone else being injured, was the most important thing, he said.
The H. Thomas Guerry Award honorees for superior performance this year were:
- Sergeant Matthew Delgado, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
- Senior Deputy Dustin Winebrenner, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Ronald Hensic, Jr., California Highway Patrol (Santa Barbara)
- Officer Toby Hall, California Highway Patrol (Buellton)
- Sergeant Vincent Magallon, Lompoc Police Department
- Corporal Stephen Best, Santa Maria Police Department
- Senior Deputy Probation Officer Jon Vittone, Santa Barbara County Probation
The H. Thomas Guerry Award honorees are chosen by the Santa Barbara Citizens Council on Crime, which recognizes law enforcement officers for valor, conflict resolution and overall performance. The awards are named for a Santa Barbara Police Department detective killed in the line of duty in 1970.
Officers Honored for Superior Performance
Sgt. Matthew Delgado and Senior Deputy Dustin Winebrenner of the Sheriff’s Office were recognized for their response to an impaired driver who was aggressive and lunged at them with a knife when they approached the vehicle.
They worked as a team, stayed calm and used excellent communication with each other to avoid using deadly force, Sheriff Bill Brown said.
Officer Ronald Hensic Jr. of the California Highway Patrol’s Santa Barbara office has personally removed hundreds of impaired drivers from local roads during his career, his superiors said in nominating him for the award. He has worked as a field training officer, on complex investigations and on patrol.
Officer Toby Hall of CHP’s Buellton office was recognized for his initiative and attention to detail leading to the discovery of a pound of fentanyl during a traffic stop last year. The investigation led to an even larger amount and a federal investigation, according to the CHP.
Lompoc Police Sgt. Vincent Magallon “instills peace and confidence among his team” with his leadership skills and innovative crime solving, Chief Kevin Martin said.
“Beyond his investigative achievements, Sgt. Magallon’s dedication to mentorship has been pivotal in developing future leaders within the department,” Martin said. “His influence extends beyond immediate case outcomes, shaping upcoming officers’ professional growth and ethical grounding. This legacy of leadership development is perhaps one of his most significant contributions.”
Corporal Stephen Best “works quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes,” his Santa Maria Police superiors said in nominating him. He works in high-tech crime investigations unit, which receives hundreds of requests for help with electronic evidence processing.
He also coordinates the city’s license plate reader system.
Senior Deputy Probation Officer Jon Vittone regularly goes above and beyond, according to Deputy Chief Probation Officer Spencer Cross.
He showed creativity and compassion in his work with juveniles in Probation programs, Cross said.
Last December, during a huge rainstorm, Vittone was driving on Highway 154 on the way to work and stopped to help people who had been a vehicle accident, Cross said.
Vittone escorted people out of the roadway as the vehicles caught fire and helped control traffic until more officers arrived to the scene, Cross said.
Vittone was selected as Probation’s Officer of the Year by his peers last year as well, Cross said.