SJPD Honors Pulitzer Winner Who Foiled Bank Robbery Attempt

Accolades Adding Up for Kim Komenich

A Pulitzer Prize winner, educator and now, police department honoree.

The San Jose Police Department has given special recognition to Kim Komenich for his actions in halting an attempted bank robbery on Monday.

Komenich, a photojournalist who won a Pulitzer Prize and now teaches mass media at San Jose State, was running errands earlier this week when he he stumbled upon an alleged bank robbery attempt. Instead of just watching when he saw the man ahead of him in line hand a note to the teller, Komenich put the man in a bear hug and held him until police arrived.

The Spartan Daily tells us the SJPD robbery unit honored Komenich by giving him a pin with the police scanner code 211, which stands for robbery.

Komenich says he didn't expect the amount of attention he would receive after his heroic act and says he'll put the pin next to an award he got for covering the Iraq War in 2005.

He takes the honor in stride.

"You get to a point in your life that nearly everything in your life is a gift if you look at it in the right way," Komenich said.

Contact Us