County of Santa Barbara officials honored community members for their work responding to the Santa Maria Superior Courthouse bombing.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, a resolution was made honoring courthouse security guard Steve Neil. Neil was on duty at the time a man threw an explosive into the courthouse building, injuring five people.
He was recognized for his bravery in chasing the suspect, Nathaniel McGuire, to his vehicle where authorities say McGuire was storing additional weapons. Neil restrained McGuire until law enforcement arrived at the scene. A British Army veteran, the security guard has served Santa Maria for over 30 years.
In addition to Neil, four others were recognized for their life-saving work during the September 25 bombing: Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Nelson, California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Hanrahan, District Attorney’s Office Investigator Wayne Flick and Santa Maria Police Officer Erik Hesch.
