On March 28, 2003, at 4:30 a.m. a citizen approached officers and report a building fire, in the Forestville area. Corporal Brian A. McCloskey and Corporal Charles E. Perry and Police Officer First Class Michael T. Kane and Police Officer First Class Kevin M. Osburn immediately responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they observed flames coming from a balcony of the building and extending to the second and third floors. The officers immediately noticed that the building's fire alarm was not sounding and that the residents had not evacuated. Officer Kane activated his cruiser siren in an effort to awaken the unsuspecting occupants. Then, without regard for their personal safety or the benefit of protective gear, all four officers ran into the smoke filled burning building and began a door-to-door evacuation. The officers encountered progressively heavy smoke conditions as they knocked on each door of the three-story building and escorted people out to safety. The officers stayed in the building until every apartment had been checked, despite the smoke, heat and poor visibility.

Upon the arrival of Fire/EMS Personnel the officers began to secure the scene. Corporal Perry discovered several bloody articles, indicating a severely injured person. The Fire Commander was notified and after a secondary search, a victim was located. The victim had been brutally beaten in his apartment and then intentionally set ablaze in an effort to cover-up the crime. Now a homicide investigation, the officers began gathering information from potential witnesses and insuring the integrity of the complex crime scene.

Corporals McCloskey and Perry and Police Officers First Class Kane and Osburn displayed great courage while coming to the aid of the citizens they are sworn to protect. Additionally, if not for the efforts of Officer Perry, crucial evidence in a homicide investigation could have been overlooked, contaminated or destroyed. As a direct result of their actions, numerous lives were saved and a truly tragic outcome was averted.