Sheriff's Deputy Promoted, Awarded for Valentine's Day Heroics

—Contributed by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office

On June 22, Sheriff Phil Wowak promoted Deputy Sheriff Patrick Dimick to Sheriff’s Sergeant. Immediately following the promotional ceremony, Sheriff Wowak presented Sergeant Dimick with a Silver Medal of Valor for his heroic acts on in Live Oak on February 14. 

On the morning of(Valentine's Day at 6:54 a.m., Dimick was dispatched to a , Santa Cruz. Deputy Dimick responded to the report of a male acting aggressively toward other families.

As Deputy Dimick responded, information was received that the 13-year-old daughter of the couple living in the motor home had left due to receiving an "unintentional" knife wound. Deputy Dimick expedited his response arriving on scene and locating the girl safe nearby. Deputy Dimick could hear yelling coming from a nearby motor home and learned that suspect was attacking his wife.

As Deputy Dimick approached the motor home he could hear sounds of a struggle and a female voice yelling for help. Deputy Dimick observed a bloody knife lying on the ground just outside the motor home door. Hearing noises consistent with a struggle, Deputy Dimick acted without reservation believing that the female was under attack and in immediate danger. He made entry into the motor home Taser drawn. He observed the suspect male on top of and straddling the female victim who was being attacked about the upper body and face.

Deputy Dimick made the appropriate commands seeking compliance from the male who paused momentarily and then resumed his attack on the female. Deputy Dimick deployed his Taser and dragged the male off of the female and outside the motor home where he received the help of Deputy Ryan York in handcuffing the suspect.

The female victim was covered in blood had been stabbed, suffering from lacerations to her face and neck. The daughter also received a severe stab wound. Deputy Dimick's heroic and decisive actions saved two lives. His quick response, accurate assessment of risk, excellent decision making and appropriate use of force saved two members of a family. 

Deputy Dimick and his partner being the consummate professionals did not stop with the rescue. They made sure the victims received proper medical triage and transport, and that the crime scene was protected. Deputy Dimick moved into a tumultuous and dangerous environment, assessed the event, and used the level of force needed to abate the criminal activity. For his selfless and heroic actions Deputy Dimick as awarded the Sheriff’s Silver Medal of Valor. 

Sergeant Dimick is 39-years-old and has been in law enforcement for the last 15 years. Patrick came to Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office in 1997 and has been assigned to various positions in the organization. Patrick has worked in the Operations Bureau as a Patrol Deputy and as a Field Training Officer. In 2003, he was assigned as a Detective in the Investigation Division. He worked in the investigation division for three years and prior to returning to patrol, he was the lead homicide investigator for the division.

Dimick has also worked in the Corrections Bureau court security division, he has been a member of the Sheriff’s SWAT team and long-standing member of the Field Training Unit. 

Dimick is a graduate of California State University at Sacramento. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in communications, Patrick attended the basic police academy in Alameda. Patrick holds Basic, Intermediate and Advanced certificates from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards in Training (POST). 
Upon promotion, Sergeant Dimick will be assigned to the Sheriff’s Operations Bureau, Patrol Division.