Jul 15, 2008 11:04 am US/Pacific
3 Honored For Subduing Gunman At Church Carnival
LOS ANGELES
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday honored three men for tackling a gunman who opened fire May 17 at a Granada Hills church carnival.
Off-duty Los Angeles police Officer Mike Williams, off-duty Burbank police Officer Charles Sternberg and Porter Ranch resident Aftab Husain grabbed Fernando Diaz Jr. and held him until police arrived.
Diaz allegedly shot the mother of his son and two other people at the St. John Baptist de la Salle Catholic Church carnival.
Witnesses told police that Diaz, 33, kissed his son, who was at the carnival, then took a rifle out of a tennis bag and opened fire. His 30-year-old ex-girlfriend was wounded in an arm. A 45-year-old man was shot in the chest, and a 47-year-old man was treated for a graze wound to the leg.
Sternberg, a retired Navy pilot, rushed Diaz and tackled him. Husain helped Sternberg hold Diaz until Williams was able to handcuff him, Supervisor Michael Antonovich said.
Diaz has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a firearm and one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
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