James Joseph Bourgeois, M.B.
Medal of Bravery
On March 26, 2009, James Bourgeois rescued a woman running away from her estranged husband, in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Mr. Bourgeois looked in his rear-view mirror and saw a panicked woman pursuing his vehicle. He stopped, allowing the woman to get inside. It was at this moment that Mr. Bourgeois saw the attacker, armed with a semi-automatic handgun, trying to pull the woman out of the car. The assailant tried to shoot her, but his gun misfired. Without hesitation, Mr. Bourgeois sped away and instructed the woman to stay down while they made their way to the police station.