Santa Cruz firefighter Clayton Ogden died, at age 47, after a short bout with cancer this summer.
This week, Santa Cruz Fire Chief Jim Frawley posthumously awarded Ogden the Medal of Valor for his involvement in protecting a civilian during the fatal Feb. 26, 2013 shootout that left two Santa Cruz police officers dead. Ogden used his own body as a shield against passing gunfire when a woman attempting to take cover fell between the responding officers and alleged killer Jeremy Goulet.
A plaque memorializing Ogden was also placed on the outer wall of the downtown Center Street fire station. Ogden was hired in 1999 and was the fire department’s most senior firefighter.