when a 72 year old woman wounded a serial rapist who preyed on elderly women. She was honored at a ceremony yesterday for her courage. I'll bet dog-breath sees this as an example of a gun nut gone wrong.

Courage Under Fire

By Anslee Willett - The Gazette

The noises in her back yard wouldn't stop.

Jean Zamarripa, who lived alone, flicked the outside light. She shouted. She grabbed her gun.

When a man bolted through the door, the 72-year-old grandmother squeezed the trigger four times, hitting him three times. She'd never practiced shooting the gun, just studied the instruction manual.

About two years later, Zamarripa stood before hundreds of people Tuesday who clapped, whistled and shouted "Woohoo!" for her.

The man she shot, Anthony Peralez, was identified as a serial rapist who targeted older women. He was linked to three rapes and is serving 868 years in prison for 51 charges.

Zamarripa, now 74, received the Citizen Distinction Award at the Colorado Springs Police Department's 17th annual Medal of Valor Ceremony, sponsored by KKTV-11. The other 13 recipients were police officers and a Douglas County Sheriff's Office corporal.

On stage, Zamarripa smiled and held her award up for the audience.

The ceremony, held at the Broadmoor International Center, honored people "who had the personal courage to look danger in the face," Colorado Springs Police Chief Luis Velez said.

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms," Velez said. "It means having a strong desire to live while being prepared to die."

Four officers received the Medal of Valor, given to those who display "extraordinary heroism" and courage in extremely dangerous situations.

Eight officers received the Distinguished Service Award, given to those who face the risk of serious injury and display courage.

Douglas County sheriff's Cpl. Larry Swartz received the Colorado Springs Police Award, given for heroism or outstanding service of other law enforcement members who helped Colorado Springs police.

The officers' stories of heroism included these situations: Two officers disarmed a man holding his wife and 16-year-old son at gunpoint. Another officer pursued a man who was shooting at him. Four officers disarmed a suicidal man who told police to shoot him.

The police officers honored had nearly the same thing to say about what they did: It was their job. Simple as that.

"It's nice to be recognized for things that you do. It's kind of embarrassing, actually," said officer Michael Juhl, who received the Medal of Valor.

Sgt. Gordon Goldston, who also received the Medal of Valor, put it simply: "I'm not much of an awards person."

SWAT officer Ron Sheppard didn't want all of the credit for his Medal of Valor.

"This award is not a reflection of anything I did individually," he said. "It's a reflection of teamwork."