Miami

Miami-Dade Officer Receives Congressional Honor

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson was on hand Monday to present the prestigious 2015 Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery to one of Miami-Dade's finest.

Officer Mario Gutierrez was stabbed by a suspect who was attempting to light a gas station on fire in October of 2013.

Gutierrez was on patrol that night at a Shell station at Northwest 25th Street and LeJeune Road.

He says he does not remember much about the night, telling NBC 6 South Florida "I have a lot of blanks in my memory, because it was happening so fast, and I was in survival mode."

Gutierrez confronted 51-year-old Dominique Jean who police say was attempting to light a fire near one of the gas pumps. When Gutierrez approached him, Jean stabbed Gutierrez multiple times.

Despite extensive injuries, Gutierrez was able to hit the emergency stop button to the gas valves, which likely prevented the explosion.

"His training, quick thinking and swift action prevented a disastrous situation that could have resulted in countless lives being lost," Wilson said in a statement. "On behalf of our community we are grateful and forever indebted to Officer Gutierrez."

The Congressional Badge of Bravery was established by Congress to honor exceptional acts of bravery in the line of duty by federal, state and local law enforcement officers.

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