Star of Courage
Awarded on: 1997-05-30
Invested on: 1997-12-05
On March 30, 1996, Police Cst. Michael Joy rescued a man from a burning house in Hamilton, Ontario. Cst. Joy was on patrol duty when he saw flames and smoke shooting from a house. He radioed for help and rushed to the scene where he was alerted that two men were still inside. Cst. Joy forced open the front door and crawled down a smoke-filled hallway, guided by the cries of one of the victims. He found the man at the bottom of a staircase and when the disoriented victim refused to move, Cst. Joy pulled him outside. Although the smoke was at floor level, he crawled back down the hallway, through the dining room and into the living room in search of the second man. He heard him cough, but was unable to reach him due to the intense heat and smoke. He nonetheless remained in the house, shouting words of encouragement until the fire trucks arrived. As Cst. Joy rushed toward the front door, he was overcome by smoke and collapsed. A colleague dragged him to safety while firefighters removed the victim.
Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 1998-06-25
Invested on: 1999-05-10
On July 27, 1995, Police Cst. Michael Joy negotiated with an individual armed with a sawed-off shotgun, in the hope of providing assistance to a severely wounded man in Hamilton, Ontario. Responding to a call of a shooting, police officers surrounded the house where four men had been binging on drugs and alcohol. Through the dispatcher, Cst. Joy persuaded the aggressor to let his partners go and once outside, they confirmed that one man had been shot in the head. After several failed attempts to convince the gunman to surrender, and fearing that the victim might not live until negotiators arrived, Cst. Joy informed the aggressor that he was coming in, unarmed. As Cst. Joy entered the house with his hands up, the man aimed his gun menacingly at his head. Undeterred, Cst. Joy was able to calm the unstable man, convince him to put down his weapon and give himself up. The victim did not survive.
* This is the second award of a decoration for bravery to Cst. Joy.