- Uxbridge, Ontario
Decorations for Bravery
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Medal of Bravery
- Awarded on: September 2, 1999
- Invested on: June 26, 2000
On November 1, 1997, in Scarborough, Ontario, Cst. James Adamson of the Metro Toronto Police Service rescued a man trapped inside the cab of a ruptured tanker-truck containing 61,000 litres of propane. Responding to the accident call, Cst. Adamson found the truck flipped on its side on an off- ramp near Highway 401, its fuel spilling dangerously close to the arcing wires of sheared-off hydro poles. Cst. Adamson climbed onto the cab, smashed the windshield and pulled the injured driver a safe distance away while warning the gathering crowd of the extreme volatility of the situation. He then administered first aid to the victim until other emergency units arrived. The magnitude of the hazard forced the evacuation of some 4,000 people from the area.
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Medal of Bravery
- Awarded on: April 18, 2000
- Invested on: December 08, 2000
On December 28, 1997, Cst. James Adamson of the Toronto Police helped apprehend two criminals threatening his colleagues in Toronto, Ontario. The criminals' vehicle was boxed in following a squad car chase. When two officers attempted to arrest the drug-crazed men, the getaway car accelerated, reversing back and forth as it slammed into other vehicles and poles, and knocking one officer to the ground. Seeing the knife-wielding passenger lunge for the other officer who was clinging to the driver's side, Cst. Adamson raced to the moving vehicle, dove head first onto the armed passenger and fought the butcher knife away from him. Cst. Adamson then tackled the driver, allowing his teammates to assist the officer on the outside of the speeding car. During Cst. Adamson's violent struggle with the driver, the car struck a pole and other officers were then able to complete the arrest.
* This is the second award of a Medal of Bravery to Cst. Adamson.