we're going to get started okay please welcome the executive staff [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] hello thank you welcome to Milwaukee Police Academy I am captain Nicole Davila I'm the academy director here and this is the 2016 fall married awards ceremony thank you for coming and thank you to retired lieutenant Karen duvis and Milwaukee Police band the oldest police band in the nation let's give him a round of applause thank you [Music] we are always good at entertaining us while we get ready thank you very much for your opinion I just wanted to introduce some of the dignitaries that were here uh Chief Edward Flynn mayor Tom Barrett they're all standing so it's hard to say can you please sit down it's hard to point out who is standing up to be introduced when they're all standing okay chief Edward Flynn thank you there we go mayor Tom Barrett the executive director of the fire and police commission Mary now Regan Alderman Mark Borkowski of alderman District number 11. assistant chief James harpel assistant chief William Jessup inspector Michael Brunson inspector Terence Gordon and our emcee for tonight anchor Shannon Sims from TMJ4 yes stand up nope not yet sorry just wanted you to stand up to so everyone could see who you were although clearly you're the only one not in uniform okay all right we only get to do this two times a year it's an extremely important ceremony that's why we're all dressed up that's why you're all here and today we have many many award recipients many citizen stories to listen to many police stories and the reason you're here is because this isn't you receiving your participation medal and I get a lot of those I know what that feels like this is because you guys went above and beyond you went above your everyday job you went above just making your way back and forth to work and you took action and so please please please recognize this recognize that this night is super important it's important to all of us that's why everybody's here that's why all the media is here they don't follow us for around for nothing they came for this and they come every single time because it's important that we recognize good work as parents we always remind everyone that pleases and thank yous but then as grown-ups we forget to Sam so this is our extremely long overdue thank you thank you to the citizens here thank you to the police here receiving these Awards there are very very good Awards you can follow along with the program as we go about it's a lot of really good stories some of the citizen actions here that you'll hear about are amazing and I wonder if if any of us would do the same things that some of our citizens did to step in if we were in our normal everyday lives so moving on with the ceremony please rise for the present presentation of the Colors by the Milwaukee Police Department color guard under the direction of Captain Leslie Tilley all right now [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] come on foreign well good evening uh it's great to see that there are some people who are not totally obsessed with the Cubs versus the Cleveland Indians although if I start seeing people leaving I'll know that you um are willing to follow that game but thank you all for being here tonight this is a very very important ceremony that we do celebrate twice a year and what I would ask is that we take a moment of silence for the two officers in Iowa who lost their lives last night that demonstrates again once again for all of us how dangerous this profession could be so let's take a moment of silence the Gallup poll released its findings in the last week or two showing or demonstrating that respect for police officers in the United States has reached a decades long high in fact it might be the highest it has ever recorded in terms of respect for police officers we have done internal analyzes here based on public surveys of our own and found that the respecter police officers in Milwaukee mirrors in many ways the respect that police officers are held in the high respect police officer held in Nationwide at the same time I think everyone here is aware of The Strife or the tension that can occur between community members often people of color and our police officers nationally and locally I started talking about that because I want everyone here to know just how much police officers are respected and for those of you who wear the uniform thank you for the sacrifices that you make for your family members and friends thank you for the sacrifices that you make to support them and it's important that we do support our police officers it's very important that we support them it's an important role it's a dangerous role it's a role it's not for everyone at the same time we can't ignore the challenges that we face and oftentimes those challenges are between the very people who are being protected our community members and the men and women who wear are uniforms of blue so the challenge that we face as a society and the challenge that you face on the front line is how do we improve that and I'm an optimist at heart and notwithstanding all the noise that you see nationally in all the videos that you see nationally about encounters between police officers and community members I believe that this city can be the city that people look to for excellent police community relations I really believe that and I believe we achieved that through something that we all learned when we were six years old and that is we respect one another to me at the core of what we need to do as a community not just as a police department not just as community members is we as human beings have to respect each other more and I realize I say that as the guy who wears the suit and I'm not the guy who's standing in the parking lot at 2 30 in the morning but I believe this that we need this to be a city where our residents can work with and respect our police officers and where our police officers can work with in respect our residents it has to be a two-way street and I believe that training you receive I believe the backgrounds that you have personally make you well suited to make this city the city that people can look to for that National leadership so I ask you as a community ask us as a community to rededicate ourselves to doing everything we can to make this the city that everyone will look to and say they're getting it right in Milwaukee and what we're doing tonight is we're showing you how we're getting it right in Milwaukee because this is the closest we do each year to a television show we're not going to see the videos but you're going to hear the stories and many of the stories we hear tonight are going to be the stories that could be the basis of a television show The Bravery the courage the actions that are taken to make sure that people's lives are saved that people are taken out of Harm's Way both by our police officers and by members of our public and I wish more of our residents could see this ceremony because it really does demonstrate to me each time when I come and I don't think I've ever missed one is how much our police officers do for the residents of this city so again I say thank you to you and to your families let's celebrate our successes let's be honest with each other about our challenges and let's do all we can to make this a community that we can be proud of thank you for being here tonight cheaply [Applause] well every day I'm proud of you and no more time than I am at a time like this when we get an opportunity to recognize what you've done in front of your friends and Families and residents of this city the mayor indicated people have no idea what you do and what you go through and it occurs to me that what I'm about to say may sound ungrammatical but you do good for a living now a lot of your friends probably do well for a living maybe they're firefighters and you know or maybe they're real estate agents or bankers and they do well you do good and what's more to that teachers do good nurses do good family counselors do good you do good at personal risk that says something about your strength of character and about your sense of Duty and honor you do things at personal risk for people you don't know and the great irony is that you will take those risks that threaten your life or health on behalf of people who don't like you or make a big production about how much you're not needed until they hit that 9-1-1 button until how they have that event that terrifies them or scares them then they know how important you are and then they'll make a speech later on next week telling you how terrible you are and the point is it never affects your commitment and that's what makes you special it's what makes this occupation special we serve everyone we risk our lives for everyone we take risks on behalf of other people regardless of where they come from and as I've said in other venues there's no occupation for whom black lives matter more than police officers because we're the only ones risking Our Lives to protect lives every one of you every day willing to do that the tragedy in Des Moines only reminds us of just this year we've had two officers shot one virtually assassinated in his car it's a miracle he survived in every one of those injured officers the officers who got stitches and concussions and glass in their eye last August is back out there serving the community I had a chance the other night talked to an officer who fractured several ribs while chasing someone after chewing him out for being clumsy fact of the matter is they apprehended all the bad guys and the fact of the matter is he was angry and frustrated because he couldn't go to work the next day that's about character and that's about dedication so tonight we celebrate our values we celebrate our values of competence of course courage most especially but also leadership and integrity restraint respect how many times do I sign Commendation letters for people who at every right in the world to use deadly force and didn't how many times are we giving life-saving awards to officers who are rendering first aid to someone they just had to shoot nobody asked that of the army or Marines but we ask that of you and you do it so you're special people were the authority figures that means people get to get mad at us symbolically call us out symbolically try to make us feel bad about ourselves symbolically we're their symbol but for each other we're real people with real families that love us and have supported us and a sense of honor and Mission and you're the living examples of those who've never forgotten that the kind of people that make us proud to be Americans and proud to be police officers I hope you're as proud of yourselves as your families are and as we certainly are so congratulations and we all look forward to hearing the stories [Applause] the awards and our emcee for the night Shannon sin good evening I'm Shannon Sims it is a pleasure to be here unfortunately I'm not as tall as the chief or the mayor it is a pleasure for me to be here tonight to not only recognize but to also honor the men and women and our citizens here who make it a great place to live here in Milwaukee so I'm not going to go on let's get started for District 1 led by Captain Eric J Moore officer Tobias goldenbeski Wyatt grorkowski Paul himenek author cliest Alejandro Lee Timothy putasik Joseph shambalka and John teachin they're receiving the life-saving award on February 28th this group of officers responded to a call of a mother and a toddler in the water near government Pier on Milwaukee's Lakefront several officers jumped into the frigid water and pulled both people to dry land other officers began rescue breathing and compressions at which time both individuals regained a pulse and were transported to the hospital the mother went into the water with the intention of killing herself and her child and she would have been successful had it not been for the selfless efforts of these officers thank you I would now ask that Donald Gwen and Mr Walter watari receive oh yes we have to get pictures [Applause] they are receiving the valorous conduct citizens award on May 15th Mr Gwen and Mr watari were fishing in Lake Michigan and saw a boat with four citizens in the water who were calling for help the rough water and winds quickly capsized their small 11-foot motorboat without hesitation these men pulled all four people out of the 47 degree water and convoyed them back to the mill McKinley Marina where medical medical attention was waiting if it had not been for the quick thinking actions of these two men the situation could have turned tragic due to the exposure of the frigid water [Applause] representing District 2 led by Captain Heather Wirth the life-saving award is presented to officers Matthew Murray and Terrell Velasquez on August 14th officer Murray Ann Velasquez were dispatched to a sick and injured call near 10th and Cleveland when in route they saw a woman who matched the description walking down the street the woman appeared to be under the influence of some type of drug nodding in and out of Consciousness and slurring Her speech all of a sudden she slumped over and became unresponsive the officers quickly administered Narcan and the woman quickly responded medical attention was requested and the woman was taken to the hospital their quick thinking heroic actions and determination saved This Woman's life [Applause] the Excellence in Police Service award is presented to officer Aaron Jackson and Kenneth Justice a sexual assault complaint was made to District 2 of the Milwaukee Police Department back in early 2006. during the course of this investigation information came to light that the suspect was soliciting prostitutes drugging them and then recording them engaging in sexual activity without their consent from February 2016 to April 2016 officer Jackson and Justice worked tirelessly to identify those in the video recordings during the time frame more than a dozen women were identified the officers through thorough interviews with the victims led to criminal charges being issued officer Jackson and Justice displayed compassion and understanding in dealing with the victims of such a personal and intrusive crime their work resulted in a total of 52 felony charges issued against the suspect and brought a dangerous criminal to Justice the meritorious service award is presented to Officer Taylor Bass and to Mark swisiak Jr on September 8th officer bass and swayziak were on an investigation when they noticed a citizen walking their dog on the sidewalk near 25th and lampham the officer then saw a pit bull run off a nearby porch directly towards the citizen and their dog officer swizziak attempted to use his Department OC spray with no effect officer bass deployed his taser in an attempt to release the dog's grip from the Citizen's arm the probe struck the dog and it retreated back to its home officer bass and swayziak demonstrated courage and exceptional quick thinking when they were confronted with a dangerous situation the materia's service award is presented to officer Derek Kitts on July 4th officer Kitts was on his way home from work and before the part before parking his car he circled his South Side neighborhood officer kids saw a vehicle at the end of the alley with its lights on a suspicious suspect carrying an object came out of a nearby garage an initial interview with that suspect revealed a robbery in progress officer Kitts immediately contacted dispatch to have officers meet him at his location the suspect was taken into custody officer Kitts demonstrated courage and quick thinking while being alone and with an individual that had committed a felonious Act [Applause] for district three led by Captain Shantae Boston Smith detective Alexander Ayala and police officer Jose Acevedo are receiving the life-saving award citizens Vanessa Vasquez and Annette Velez as well as Claudia Villarreal are receiving the meritorious conduct award on July 26th detective Ayala and officer Acevedo were attending a fundraising event off duty at Miller Park they learned of a missing six-year-old autistic child Miss Vasquez Miss Velez and Miss Villarreal saw the child in deep water near a bridge and began to alert everyone around upon hearing the Frantic screams detective Ayala assisted by Officer Acevedo entered the river to retrieve the child the child was brought to safety and returned to his father the group's quick thinking heroic actions and determination helped prevent a tragedy thank you officers Catherine Ander and Charles celo are receiving the life savings award on June 26 officer Ander and celo responded to a suicide attempt at 35th on the 35th Street Viaduct where the drop is 70 feet to the ground a female subject was sitting on the bridge and threatening to jump officer celo positioned himself opposite the woman while officer Ander began talking with the distressed female when she became distracted for one second she turned towards officer Ander officer celo recognized this was the opportunity and pulled the woman to safety the officers continued to calm the women using their Crisis Intervention training she was taken to metal to Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex for observation and treatment the officer's skillful use of training helped saved This Woman's life officer Stephen Dombrowski and William Schmitz are receiving the life-saving award on May 30th officer Dombrowski and Schmitz responded to a shooting near 36th and Clark when two victims were shot during an altercation one of the victims was not breathing and was unconscious due to the profuse bleeding from his leg it was officer Schmidt who used the vehicle the victim's belt to wrap around his bleeding leg while officer Dombrowski retrieved the department tourniquet from the squad the officers secured the tourniquet to the victim's leg causing the blood flow to subside these officers put their safety aside and entered a hostile crowd an unsecure scene for the purpose of rendering life-saving measures for a victim officer Joseph Goggins and Matthew Wenzel are receiving the life-savings award on April 8th officers Goggins and Wenzel responded to a call for an unresponsive female near Miller Park and found the woman inside her idling locked vehicle she was blue in color and officer Wendell could see no sign of breathing in addition officer Goggins saw a needle in her lap they recognized the situation as a probable heroin overdose and immediately took action to save her life officer Wenzel smashed the window of the vehicle and officer Goggins reached into the car to put the vehicle in park the officers worked together to remove the woman and immediately administered Narcan she quickly responded and became began breathing once again on her own medical help arrived and took the woman to a hospital for further treatment and observation as a result of their training these officers saved her life [Applause] is receiving the meritorious service award on August 10th officer galke responded to a subject drowning in the Washington Park Pool officer galkey entered the pool removed his equipment and drove and dove in to rescue the victim he swam with the victim in his arms to the surface of the pool and began CPR until medical help arrived despite his efforts the victim succumbed to his injuries officer gonke demonstrated courage and exceptional quick thinking when he was confronted with this daunting situation officer Mike Lopez is receiving the meritorious service award on April 9th officer Lopez was alerted to the sound of gunfire as he passed through the intersection of West Atkinson Avenue and West Roosevelt drive after scanning the area officer Lopez stopped and talked to a man who he suspected fired the weapon after the field interview the man stated he was a victim of an attempted armed robbery officer Lopez recorded details of the physical description of the suspect and referred the incident to the criminal investigation division Weeks Later officer Lopez was near 44th and Wright when he saw a suspect that fit the description of the attempted armed robber a field investigation revealed this to be the same individual in the armed robbery attempt officer Lopez and his partner immediately took the suspect into custody where a handgun and drugs were found in his possession the suspect had a history of criminal activity and a felony warrant for probation violation officer Lopez didn't frustrated diligence in his pursuit of apprehending this criminal his dedication to the Department's core values led to the arrest of a dangerous criminal [Applause] Michael Beal is receiving the values conduct citizens award on February 28th Mr Beale ran in Aaron for his wife at a pharmacy near 59th and Lisbon while in the checkout line Mr Bill noticed a man reaching into the cash register with his left hand and a hammer in his right Mr Beale without regard for his own safety swiftly removed the hammer from the suspect's hand the suspect ran out of the store without stealing any money Mr Bill remained calm and was able to relate the direction of the suspect to responding officers Mr Beale placed the welfare of the store's employees and customers above his own and acted heroically and bravely and disrupted this violent Act thank you Elizabeth Nelson is also receiving the meritorious conduct Citizen Award on September 2nd Miss Nelson saw a woman lying on the ground by a car near 70th and Main having an apparent seizure and turning blue Miss Nielsen who was also a nurse determined the woman's breathing was extremely shallow and her pulse was faint immediately Miss Nielsen called 9-1-1 and then began chest compressions until the Milwaukee Fire Department arrived they eventually administered Narcan and took the woman to the hospital Miss Nelson's quick actions and use of chest compressions saved a life and assisted officers in an investigation of an apparent overdose for District 4 led by Captain Andrew Williams tonight presented by Lieutenant David fledmeyer the medal of valor combat award is presented to Officer William Kingston and Joseph spingola the medal of valor rescue award is presented presented to officer Daniel stokovic and Li Zhong the valoris conduct citizens award is presented to Mr job Griffin on July 30th Griffin saw a father trying to throw his three-month-old baby into the lake near 74th and Glenbrook Mr Griffin rushed into the polluted lake alone and tried to pull the child away from his father when the group of officers arrived the father refused to come out and submerge the baby deeper in the water officers Kingston and spingola went into the lake to pursue the homicidal father and eventually took him into custody officers to koviak and Zhong located the child in the murky water and began CPR however tragically the child did not survive these officers along with Mr Griffin demonstrated extraordinary courage Under Fire And even put themselves in danger during an extremely intense and an emotional situation [Applause] the life-saving award is presented to Officer James dower and Marshall Jones on May 6th officer dower and Jones were on patrol in the 5600 block of North Lovers Lane Road when they were alerted by a citizen of a woman that was attempting to jump from the bridge officer dower received the necessary information from citizens regarding the situation officer Jones grabbed the woman's arm in an attempt to pull her back over the railing the weight of the woman started to pull her and officer Jones over the rail officer dower pulled both of them back to safety officer Darwin Jones quick thinking heroic actions and determination prevented the loss of life the life-saving award is presented to officer Nicholas gruenwald on August 21st officer gronewall and his partner were on patrol near 60th and good hope when they saw a car Crossing into oncoming traffic and striking the curb officer grown wall noticed the driver appeared to be unresponsive officer grownwall administered Narcan to the man in an attempt to get the man to regain Consciousness he then removed the man from the car and started performing chest compressions and sternum rubs until the subject regained Consciousness officer grownwall and his partner spoke with the man who admitted to have overdosing on drugs officer Brown Wall's quick thinking helped save this man's life [Applause] presented to officer Matthew helworth on August 8th officer hellworth while on bike Patrol near 37th and Thurston heard several gunshots a block away officer helwer responded to the area where he saw a man on the ground bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to his right leg officer hell were immediately obtained a tourniquet from his bicycle and tied it around the victim's leg this officer applied pressure to another gunshot wound on the victim medical help arrived and transported the victim to the hospital for treatment where he survived his injuries officer hellworth's heroic actions saved this shooting victim's life [Applause] next we have officer Christopher Schwartz he is receiving the meritorious service award on February 14th officer shot shorts received an email containing information about a theft from a vehicle on Milwaukee's Northwest side he viewed still photos of a suspect and the vehicle officer shorts was able to identify a subject that had been connected with previous investigations he had worked on officer shorts retrieved video footage from prior investigations and noticed the clothing and physical description of the suspect was similar to The Still photos the suspect was later taken into custody officer shorts demonstrated dedication and professionalism through his thorough investigation and case management skills [Applause] for District 5 LED by Captain Timothy heyer Sergeant Misty Torres and officer Andrew fuerta Nicholas cropp Ryan Miller and Cortland pennerson are receiving the life-saving award on August 23rd office Peterson was working in the District 5 booking room as a police aide while performing cell checks he saw a prisoner hang himself officer Patterson immediately called for assistance for his assistance from his fellow officers Sergeant Torres brought in an AED machine while officer fuerta freed the prisoner from the cell bars officer crop carried the prisoner into the hallway so that officer Miller and the others could perform CPR until Medics arrived the teamwork exhibited by this group of officers helped save the prisoner's life [Applause] also receiving the life-savings award tonight officer Chad boyak Mark Dillman and Anthony Malone on June 27 the officers were on patrol at 22nd and Nash when they found a man in the street without a pulse and not breathing the group retrieved a pocket Mass called for medical attention and requested an AED machine they perform chest compressions until Medics arrived and convoyed the subject to the hospital for treatment where he survived his injuries it was the quick thinking heroic actions and determination by these officers that saved that man's life [Applause] officer Matthew Jackson is receiving a life-saving award on August 7th officer Jackson was notified by a citizen of a possible shooting near 4th and Chambers officer Jackson saw an unresponsive man with a gunshot wound to the right upper thigh immediately officer Jackson applied to tourniquet above the gunshot wound to prevent the loss of blood medical help arrived and transported the subject to the hospital officer Jackson's quick thinking heroic actions and determination prevented the loss of life [Applause] foreign officer Edward ciano is receiving the distinguished service award on three different occasions in 2016 officer siano organized various interactive events including two toy donations with young people from District Five officer siano's proactive engagement with the youth living in a challenged area builds trust between District Five officers and the community officer siano is committed to the vision and the mission of the Milwaukee Police Department and has helped Foster positive relationships between District 5 and the community they serve [Applause] officer Jesse buzhart and Robert Gregory are receiving the meritorious service award on February 26 officer basshard and Gregory assisted another officer in a vehicle Pursuit the vehicle stopped and suddenly was engulfed in flames near 30 13th in Fond du Lac officer bus Hart broke a window of the car and saw a man pinned and unresponsive inside he began chest compressions while the man was still inside the burning vehicle officer Gregory tried to extinguish the fire which was coming from the engine compartment officer Gregory assisted with chest compressions until Medics arrived the victim however later succumbed to his injuries officer bus Hart and Gregory showed extreme courage and acted very well under extreme circumstances [Applause] office Officer Curtis pilzinski is receiving the meritorious service award on November 15th officer polzinski was dispatched to a shooting in Riverwest he located a witness that was able to show him key details about what led up to the shooting the witness also identified an item the suspect had touched and DNA evidence was able to be preserved officer palzinski showed a photo array of a potential suspect to the victim and Witnesses which led to the identification of that suspect officer palzinski coordinated efforts with the district to apprehend the subject and the suspect was later arrested officer polzinski demonstrated perseverance and dedication to this case and was ultimately able to apprehend a dangerous criminal for district 6 led by Captain Diana Rowe the medal of valor rescue award is presented to officers James Johnson jutiki X the purple Star Award is presented to officer Brandon Baranowski the meritorious service award is presented to Sergeant Joseph hoselka officer Vincent andrachik Fabian Garcia Justin Joseph Susan look Rock washowski and Michael Maldonado an emergency communication Operator 2 Nancy Daniels on July 17th officer bernowski responded to a call for service near 17th and Morgan while seated in his car a gunman ambushed him and shot him several times officer Baranowski while fighting through excruciating pain broadcasted a call for help officer Johnson and officer X rushed to the scene and applied pressure to baranowski's wounds and kept him calm until Medics arrived took control and ascertained the situation he remained composed and continued to direct all the responding Resources officer andresik Garcia jolev laroque washowski and Maldonado provided protective cover to the officer as he was carried to safety mpd's response to this call resulted in nearly a hundred different units Eco two Daniels kept track of personnel and was able to relay key information when needed she kept calm and was extremely professional during this stressful situation never leaving her position for more than three hours these men and women displayed extraordinary courage and put themselves In Harm's Way to tend to officer Baranowski they all remained Vigilant to the threat of the active shooter who was at the time still on the loose the courage and quick thinking of this group during extreme difficult time is to be commended [Applause] [Applause] they deserve another round of applause [Applause] for district 7 led by Captain Boris terzinovich retired officer Zebedee Wilson is receiving the medal of valor combat award and officer Trinidad Rodriguez is receiving a meritorious service award on April 15th officer Rodriguez was informed of a suspicious vehicle with three subjects possibly casing a business near 67th and Hampton two subjects exited the vehicle with masks and entered the business officer Rodriguez arrived and approached the third suspect in the vehicle and kept him detained for other officers to arrive officer Rodriguez then entered the store and began clearing the scene an armed subject was located by retired officer Wilson and was subdued with a single gunshot officer Rodriguez continued to clear the store apprehending the second subject without further incident officer Rodriguez and Wilson demonstrated quick response time as well as courage and bravery in apprehending two robbery suspects thank you Troy Mason is receiving the life savings award on June 1st officer Mason responded to a shooting near 35th and Townsend officer Mason found a man that was suffering from a gunshot wound there he immediately began performing chest compressions until Medics arrived and the victim was taken to the hospital officer Mason's quick thinking and heroic actions prevented the loss of life foreign police aide Jonathan Schrader is receiving the meritorious service award on March 20th police age Raider was assigned to the district 7 booking room while processing a prisoner he completed the prisoner's medical intake screening by asking medical questions pertaining to the health and wellness of that prisoner the police say then placed this prisoner in a cell pursuant to procedure he continued with his duties and later discovered the prisoner hanging from the cell bars police Aid Schroeder Schrader immediately activated the emergency alarm which notified officers to respond to the booking room The Prisoner was subsequently removed from his cell and carefully laid on the ground officers assisted him while he summons medical assistance The Prisoner was transported to a local hospital and treated for his injuries Captain Eric Moore is receiving a meritorious service award and Mr Zay Zhang is receiving a valorous conduct Citizen Award on February 20th Captain Moore was off duty near 55th and Capitol when he noticed several suspicious actors in the area Captain Moore was made aware that Mr Yang and other citizens were chasing these men because they just committed an armed robbery in the church parking lot Captain Moore joined in the effort to locate these suspects two of the suspects were seen running towards a residence one suspect entered the home the other remained outside Captain Moore approached both suspects and announced that he was a Milwaukee Police Officer he summonsed officers to the scene for assistance and these suspects were taken into custody Captain Moore and Mr Yang demonstrated bravery and courage and took decisive action thank you police officers David Betten Jose Lopez and Trinidad Rodriguez are receiving the meritorious service award on June 16 2015 these officers were informed of a suspicious suspect exiting a local business near 76th and Hampton the officers responded to the area and realized the suspect matched photos seen during roll call the suspect fled but the officers able to quickly catch up with him the suspect was apprehended and placed into custody a gun was recovered and the suspect confessed to five armed robberies of local businesses these officers demonstrated courage and exceptionally quick thinking during this incident and helped solve several crimes [Applause] we asked that officer Benton and Rodriguez remain on stages they are also receiving another meritorious service award along with Sergeant Bradley budenhagen and officer Lang Grady it was on August 27th that officer Benton and Rodriguez were on patrol near 37th and Congress and saw a suspicious person that person then fired three shots wounding a victim fellow Milwaukee Police Department members including sergeant buddhaagen and officer Grady chased after the suspect and took him into custody a gun also found in the suspect's pocket confronted with a potentially dangerous situation these officers acted with courage tenacity and determination thank you for the investigative management division led by Captain Jeffrey point the distinguished service award is presented to forensic investigator Chet St Claire in May 2016 there was a block backlog of 140 cases in the method for processing evidence was unorganized in the forensic division forensic investigators Saint Claire took initiative and established a priority system which simplified how evidence was received he reorganized how items were processed so that guns could be processed efficiently and continue to facilitate discussions with the Wisconsin crime lab to obtain better DNA results from firearms forensic investigator Saint Claire is dedicated to improving the forensic lab so she came or successful in relating it to the Firearms he constantly seeks out training to improve his knowledge and processes which can help identify criminals Saint Claire has demonstrated a level of professionalism and dedication to his duties by making the forensic deficient division more efficient [Applause] for the Metropolitan investigations division led by acting Captain Lieutenant Paul formalo the meritorious service award is presented to detective Marlon Davis Rosemary Galindo Catherine Spano Harold Thomas Michael Washington Eric Velez Villarreal on November 6th District squads responded to the fatal shooting of five-year-old Layla Peterson near 58th and Fairmont Witnesses described seeing the suspects fleeing in a dark-colored vehicle however their identities were unknown the investigation proved difficult and challenging due to a number of factors the most significant was there was no connection between the child's family and those ultimately found responsible for her death as a result of hard work and diligence this investigation revealed multiple other cases linked through ballistic evidence these detectives played a crucial role in finding Witnesses and suspects eventually the suspects were arrested and convicted these detectives demonstrated professionalism and Devotion to Justice while working on the leads in this troubling case for the Narcotics Division led by Captain Jeffrey micklitz detective Abner valcarcel and officer Evelyn Lazo are receiving the Excellence in Police Service award from October 2014 to January 2016 detective volcarcel and officer Lazo LED members of the Narcotics Division in the investigation of numerous robberies occurring in both Milwaukee and Waukesha counties after several months of developing and linking cases together through interviews and networking with other investigators search warrants were executed leading to the arrest of several Suspects the officers while leading this investigative group were able to link the criminal incidents and activities this resulted in the clearance of several robberies and the federal indictments of seven suspects these officers demonstrated a high level of professionalism and Devotion to duty by helping bring criminals to Justice [Applause] for the neighborhood task force led by Captain Leslie Tilley the medal of valor combat award is presented to officer Stephen cuspa on April 21st officer cuspa was on an unrelated investigation in her gunshots near 29th and Concordia officer cuspa immediately positioned himself in a tactical position and started moving toward the sound of gunfire numerous gunshots were fired at several vehicles and houses by a male suspect officer cuspa engaged the man with deadly force because the suspect was firing rounds in the direction of the officers and citizens on scene officer cuspa's actions ended the threat to others and the suspect was taken into custody officer cuspa put himself in Peril as he pursued and ultimately helped capture an armed suspect foreign [Applause] the life-saving award is presented to officers Casey Donahue Andrew fuerta Eric Norwood and Ryan Regan on September 7 officers responded to shots fired near 28th and Hadley the officers found a shooting victim inside a nearby home with multiple gunshot rooms after analyzing the situation and requesting medical attention the officer started cutting off the victim's clothes in order to locate the wounds noticing several bleeding bleeding areas coming from the victim's body the officers applied several tourniquets the victim was transported to the hospital due to their immediate intervention these officers saved that victim's life foreign service award is presented to Lieutenant Kristen felsman Sergeant James Bryce and Michael karlowski and officer Joseph belkey David Klaus Daniel Floyd miles kowalik Stephen cuspic Warren McDuffie Matthew Murray percocio sorry Orlando Eric Rodriguez Joseph shearing on February 20th these officers responded to 26th and Stark for a hostage situation a father was holding his son at knife point and was threatening to kill him if police tried to enter his home negotiations with the suspect began immediately the suspect stated he was going to turn on the gas and blow the house up the group came up with a plan to make entry into the home they breached a door and deployed two noise flash devices once inside the home officers located the suspect and kept him separate from his son the child was safely removed and given to waiting medical personnel the suspect was taken into custody without any incident these officers demonstrated courage when confronted with an individual determined to cause harm [Applause] [Applause] for the north investigations division led by Captain Johnny scrignali detective Rodney young is receiving the medal of valor rescue award on June 21st detective young was on patrol and came across an incident an accident near 24th in Fairmont two cars had collided and one of the vehicles was engulfed in flames detective young worked tirelessly to remove the driver from the vehicle in the process he sustained extensive Burns to his own arms and hands the victim was removed from the vehicle and transported to the hospital where he later died detective young knew that attempting to remove the subject from the burning vehicle would be a potential Hazard to his own personal safety the Milwaukee Police Department honors detective young for his heroic actions [Applause] for the office of community outreach and education led by Captain Raymond Banks the meritorious service award is presented to miss Susan Hargraves on June 18th Miss Hargraves completed 30 years with the Milwaukee Police Department as a police auxiliary auxiliary Hargraves has successfully executed to the best of her ability the orders designated with this assignment she has made a significant contribution above and beyond the ordinary Call of Duty to the Milwaukee Police Department's Mission she is deeply committed to District 4 and has held the position of president vice president sergeant of arms and treasury for her unit auxiliary Hargraves has proven that she is reliable and is an example of Excellence to the community she serves [Applause] thank you [Applause] the following members are receiving the Excellence in Police Service Awards Captain Jeffrey micklitz and officer Robert Gregory as well as Philip Lewis these officers have been recognized by Chief Ed Flynn with letters of commendation three times these letters of commendation recognize the outstanding performances of these officers during the course of their duties on multiple occasions these officers have shown the willingness to go above and beyond the ordinary Call of Duty these officers have been repeatedly recognized for their outstanding contributions to the mission of the Milwaukee Police Department thank you and finally we end with the unit service award and recognize those responsible for dismantling the bless team we ask that The Following come to the stage from the Milwaukee Police Department Lieutenant Sean Downey detective John Ivey Matthew Cooper has ball Joseph SK esquedo esqueda Gregory cuspa Andrew Molina Christopher Randazzo John shoot Ashley vanderbreeze in addition we ask that these law enforcement Partners from Wisconsin Haida join us on the stage as well investigative analyst Ashley hindo DCI special agent Bodo gojavik investigator Craig Perkowski from the south Milwaukee Police Department de special DEA special agent James Krieger West Allis Police Department detective Michael sitter an assistant District Attorney Laura cravello in August 2015 mpd's Narcotics Division and other law enforcement Partners from Wisconsin's Haida began an investigation into a violent organization known as the bless team this group was connected to drug dealing Firearms violations carjackings Pursuits and drug overdose deaths in and around the Milwaukee area the first part of this operation focused on Gathering field intelligence about the Blessed team while managing a confidential informant who was a key player in developing this case the second part of this operation involved extensive investigation and the execution of search warrants that led to seizures of firearms money and illegal drugs several arrests were made felony and misdemeanor charges were issued and three homicide cases were cleared Superior efforts and Persistence of this investigation team analysts supervisors and prosecutors in this operation resulted in the successful dismantling of the Blessed team [Applause] if we could give everyone who's received an award tonight another round of applause [Applause] [Applause] I want to thank you again for attending tonight thank you it has been an honor to be your MC I'd like to say to any family members and any officers if I messed up your name charge it to my head and not my heart and thank you again for joining us tonight [Applause] as always we present a gift to the emcee here you go we want to thank TMJ4 for letting you spend your time with us instead of on air today I know this is your time to be working so thank you very much I just wanted you to know I asked that we only serve vegetables in Fruit as a refreshment and I was overruled so cookies and water and coffee in 182a please enjoy thank you [Music] [Music] oh yeah