[Music] [Music] [Music] the [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Music] you you [Music] Oh get this fabulous evening started [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] good evening everyone I'm assistant chief carrion Yerkes with Milwaukee Police Department Risk Management Bureau I'd like to welcome you all to the police and fire academy for this evenings Milwaukee Police Department's 2017 spring merit award ceremony with music provided by the Milwaukee Police ban the nation's the nation's oldest and proudest police band led by band director retired lieutenant Karen dubis thank you Karen friends family and award recipients thank you for being here to support your loved ones who exemplify what it is to be a Milwaukee police officer before we begin the ceremony please allow me to introduce the dignitaries for tonight's event when I say your name could you please rise so you the crowd can recognize you Chief of Police Edward Flynn City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett the executive director of the fire fleece Commission Miss Mary Nell Regan Alderman Chevy Johnson Alderman mark Borkowski Alderman Terry Witkowski and a few members of our executive staff assistant chief William Jessup inspector Michael Brunson inspector Duty key Jackson inspector Terrence Gordon an inspector Tom Stiegler you will also see various captains and lieutenants that represent the rest of the Milwaukee Police Department those are our districts or divisions and our bureaus ladies and gentlemen if you could please rise for the presentation of the colors by the Milwaukee Police Department honor guard the honor guard is commanded by captain Leslie chilly Oh [Music] [Music] Oh three great step ah Oh thank you you may take your seats I just want to say again thank you everyone for being here twice a year we gather to honor members of our department for their heroism bravery compassion hard work and dedication we hold the spring merit award ceremony during Police week that is this week each of our ceremonies marks a new chapter in MPD's history these police officers and community members exemplify our core values and guiding principles the men and women of this department sworn and non-sworn continue to make us proud you don't do what you do for metals recognition or extra pay and many of the most selfless acts that you perform go unrecognized let me be the first of many to say congratulations on your award and thank you for your service we are honored to have our first speaker tonight who always makes it a point to come to every Academy graduation and our merit award ceremony if you could please welcome Mayor Tom Barrett [Applause] thank you Thank You assistant chief good evening as we gather here tonight I was thinking about a member of our family our City family who we lost earlier this spring Ziggy as he was affectionately known as work for the City of Milwaukee his entire career he was a building inspector who was killed in the line of duty and although he wasn't a police officer or a firefighter I think all members of the police family all members the fire family all members of the City family mourn his loss and are appreciative of the services that he rendered for the city and given what we're doing tonight I think it's appropriate we just take a moment of silence to think about him to pray for his soul and to reflect on his life so let's please just take a moment of silence for me his his loss was one of the most difficult if not the most difficult moment I've had his the mayor of this city and as tragic as that event was and as horrific as that event was that day I was also very proud I was very proud of our men and women of our Maliki Police Department iron Milwaukee Fire Department as well as the building inspectors but it was the police work that to me exemplified just the tremendous professionalism the tremendous acumen the tremendous caring that I have witnessed in this Police Department the fact that the police were able to take different pieces of information within hours and solve the puzzle if you will of what had happened was in this lay person's mind nothing less than spectacular and I want to begin tonight by thanking every member of the Milwaukee Police Department for your professionalism and and for your commitment to our community so what makes a city what makes a city take 600,000 people give or take a few hundred put them in a 96 square 96 square mile area at a lake add some lagoons add some parks and poof you've got a city but there's more to a city than that the Sun the city is more than the sum of its parts of the people who live there it's more than some of the parts of the locations in the city it's also it's also the feel of the city the tempo of the city the rhythm of the city that makes a city a special place and there's some people who don't like cities who are afraid of cities I think cities are bad places I happen to love cities and I happen to love this city more than any other city and it's the people of this city that I love the people of this city are the ones that I think make it's an exciting place a place where I have been proud to raise my family and where I hope some day my children can raise their families so who makes up the city well of course you've got the residents of the city and they're important and we're going to pay tribute to some residents tonight who went above and beyond the call of being a citizen and decided they were going to get involved in a situation that may have been harrowing may be life-threatening certainly was something that they could have ignored and it's people like that those people who were honoring tonight that makes a city a special place but there's another group of people who makes a city a special place and of course it's the police officers it's the police officers who put themselves in places where most of us would never want to be because if you think about it for a moment oftentimes the police officers are called to the worst moment of a person's life whether its death or accident or crime or a fire or you name it a car accident we asked police to come in and then oftentimes we don't appreciate the work that they've done for us but the reality is our police officers are also our residents they're citizens of our community and they have children and they have families and many of the families out here tonight and I thank you for being here to support them so they face the same pressures that we face in our daily lives pressures of raising kids pressures of knowing that not all the time at home they are the perfect spouse although maybe it's different police for police officers than it is for mayors maybe you are the perfect spouse oh I'm not sure that's up for you to decide but I think it's important for us to try to get to know each other on a personal basis and what I mean by that is not no one in this room is going to know 600,000 people but I think that our lives are our richer if we take the time to try to appreciate someone else's place in life someone else's responsibilities in life and that's why I often say I want this to be a city where our residents can work with and respect our police officers that's something that's very very important to me I want our residents to be able to work with and respect our police officers and I also want this to be a city where our police officers can work with and respect our residents and I know that's easy for me to say because I'm not the guy standing outside the bar at 3:00 in the morning but I think if this city is going to work it has to be a city where there's a two-way street of respect where our residents respect our police officers and our police officers respect our residents and tonight in addition to seeing the valor the professionalism the acumen of our police officers I think we're going to see many examples where our police officers have respected our residents sometimes in situations where most of us would not be particularly respectful because they're such challenging situations so as we move forward again I want to thank all of the members of the police department who are here I want to thank all the citizens who are here I want to thank all the family members who are so supportive and remember we have something special here we've got a city that works do we have our challenges of course we have our challenges what I often say is I screw up every once a while just to stay in the news and but if everybody asked acts with good faith if everybody tries to make this a better community starting out with their own families I'm confident that we are going to continue to move this great city forward thank you and have a good night oh and I'll now I'd like to call up chief Flynn to make some remarks for the evening [Applause] well this is a very happy day for us in the midst of what is a a solemn week it is National Police week this next Saturday the annual vigil will take place at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in which the etch names of those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty that's last year will be will be represented and unveiled for the first time tomorrow will of course be having our own police memorial day here in the Milwaukee County where we will recognize the sacrifices of Milwaukee police officers from all the jurisdictions within the county of Milwaukee who had given their lives in the line of duty in fact it's a hundred years ago this year that I believe 11 police officers in the City of Milwaukee died in the explosion of an anarchist bomb that killed them all in their station it was the largest single day loss of life for police officers in this country until 2001 so it is a solemn week but it's also a week to recognize those values that so characterized our profession and so characterized the practitioners of our profession which is you this is a proud day for all of us it's a proud day for you it's a proud day for the members of your family who are gathered here with your spouses and parents and children to witness us celebrate your work and it gives me great joy to do this now this is a tough job it can be a grind trust me it can be a grind for all of us but we're in this because we care we're in this because we believe in a core set of values that ask us to transcend our personal interests and frequently place the interests of others above our own even at the risk of our safety and so tonight we'll be talking about combat situations rescue situations life-saving situations meritorious arrests circumstances in which people have rendered excellent service overtime or in which entire units have engaged in exemplary conduct that emphasizes how important teamwork and coordination of effort is for the successful protection of our community all of those things we get to celebrate today in front of fam friends and family so I'm going to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your commitment for your dedication for your selfless acts on behalf of this community and to tell you that I'm very proud to have the opportunity to serve as your chief and this city is very lucky that men and women of your caliber willing to put themselves forward to protect it so thank you well done mayor if you'd like to join us back on stage I would also like our emcee for the evening to please come to the stage you will all recognize our emcee for tonight's ceremony as an anchor of the noon and 4:00 p.m. newscasts for CBS 58 Michele McCormick brings the news daily to those in Southeast Wisconsin she has been at CBS 58 since 2005 and last year was recognized by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association for writing and reporting she's a proud United States Air Force mom and in her free time enjoys hiking bicycling and tending all the festivals Milwaukee has to offer please join me in welcoming Michelle McCormick thank you very much [Applause] for generations men and women have put the personal safety at risk to hold the line for law and order for some it is the continuation of a family tradition for others they are the first of their kind for all who take the oath three things hold true love of country pride and service and the sanctity of the badge we call it the police life it is an honor after spending 11 years just talking about you all on the news I get to personally say thank you I can tell you that your stories which I would tell my son often when I came home inspired him to enter law enforcement he's got two years in it security forces overseas in the US Air Force and so I couldn't be more pleased to represent him and our entire community in gratitude and I know there are plenty of mothers out there right now waiting to say I gave birth to a hero so let's get started right [Applause] for district 1 led by captain Diana Rowe officer Xavier J Benitez is receiving the life-saving award it was January 21st of this year officer Benitez dispatched to an injured sick person 2900 block of North Marietta a veneer off acerbo need has learned a man had collapsed while doing maintenance work he was unconscious and not breathing officer Benitez immediately began chest compressions effectively did them into the arrival of the Milwaukee Fire Department the victim sent to the hospital alive and in stable condition a Milwaukee Fire Department lieutenant told a Milwaukee police sergeant that the victim would not be alive today were it not for the actions of officer Benitez officers Ryan a Duman Jonathan echeverria and Christopher a mana Gold are receiving the life-saving award January 19 2017 these officers were dispatched to a welfare check 100 block of West Wisconsin Avenue a caller stated there was a man standing on the bridge and he looked ready to jump into the icy River the officers at first attempted to approach him engage him in conversation but he ignored them so the officers climbed onto the concrete pillar where the man was standing and grabbed his arms the officers assured the man were trying to help you and they safely took him into custody and transported him to Milwaukee County mental health the heroic actions of these officers helped prevent a tragedy that night officer Stephen Jay pube Lee is receiving the life-saving award January 28th officer pube lee responded to a home in the 900 block of east well street the caller's daughter was unresponsive she was trying to end her own life officer pude Lee began chest compressions on the woman her pulse was restored the woman was taken to the hospital for further medical treatment officer Pugh Glee's quick response to the scene and life-saving actions helped save a woman's life and let a father see his daughter grow up for district 2 led by captain Heather worth the life-saving award is presented to Officer Christopher a Benitez October 10th 2016 officer Benitez dispatched to the 1500 block of South Union Street a woman was there a likely overdose she had shallow breathing and her eyes were rolling uncontrollably officer Benitez closed one nostril of her nose inserted a syringe and dispensed naloxone the woman regained consciousness she was later taken to the hospital for medical treatment this decisive action saved the woman's life Thank You officer Benitez the life-saving award is presented to officers Andrew J Gallup Adam M Hollis Hollis how do you say it Halas all right Alice and Jacob II IV it's okay officer you can correct a reporter we appreciate it February 2nd 2017 these officers responded to a report of a shooting 1500 block of South 9th Street the victim was a man he'd been shot in both legs this guy was pale having real trouble breathing officers gallop and Hollis applied a tourniquet to each of the victims legs to contain the loss of blood officer IV delivered rescue breaths with a pocket mask the victim was transported to a local hospital treated for his injuries quick thinking heroic actions determination another story of MPD saving a life [Applause] the life-saving award is presented to officers Vance ace Colin and Paul II Zim borsky December 5th 2016 officers Colin and zamorski patrolling the 800 block of South Layton Boulevard they were flagged down a medical emergency at a gas station the officers saw a woman turning blue the result of an apparent overdose officer Scotland immediately began chest compressions while officer zamorski retrieved the breathing mask to perform rescue breaths after a few cycles of CPR the woman's pulse restored she was later taken to a local hospital for treatment if not for the quick action of these officers we might be reporting on another fatal overdose instead there's a happy ending tonight the life-saving award is presented to officers mark je suis dziak jr. and Jason G Warwick October 4th 2016 Officer Sweezy AK and Warwick flagged down for an accident at the intersection of West Mitchell Street in south Muskego Street the officers saw a moped in the intersection a man on the ground this guy was unconscious had a severe arm injury the officers stabilized the man's neck called for medical attention a supervisor and additional squads the officers rolled the man on his side into what's called the recovery position officer Swezey a Kimura kept the man in this recovery position until the fire department arrived if not for the actions of these officers this man's life may have ended at the scene another life-saving award is presented to officer Paul ISM borsky and the Meritorious Service Award is presented to Officer Kristen rege October 1st 2016 several MPD officers responded to a stabbing in the 2100 block of South 25th Street the officers found the victim who was bleeding profusely officer rege attempted to keep the subject calm by continuously ensuring him hey medical help is on the way officer zamorski cut the front of the victim's shirt tore it open in order to locate the wound he then gathered a number of sterile gauze pads covered the victims exposed organs and applied pressure to stop the bleeding it was later determined the victim had suffered a stab wound from a sword that had passed completely through the body if not for the rapid response and actions of these officers this victim surely would have succumbed to his injuries the Meritorious Service Award is presented to Tabitha L Krasinski Adam P Robo nose ro Bukowski and Jason G Warwick November 12 2016 these officers responded to the 2100 block of West National Avenue a guy with a knife when they arrived the man ran into the apartment held the knife to his throat the officers began a dialogue with the man stabilized the scene following lengthy negotiations he dropped the knife and was taken into custody who was later treated at a local hospital for high levels of alcohol intoxication and mental health problems these officers demonstrated great restraint while dealing with an armed man and showed exceptional patience for district 3 led by captain shunt a Boston Smith officer Lou Carlin Davis is receiving to life-saving awards let's talk about the first incident do you remember January 7th 29th 2017 officer Davis was off-duty and on his way home when he saw disturbance 2300 block of South 26th Street he was alone but he chose to become involved and discovered that a citizen had been shot in the head officer Davis took charge of the scene directed a citizen call 9-1-1 get medical attention the shooting victim unresponsive not breathing no pulse officer Davis began CPR into the Milwaukee Fire Department arrived through his quick actions the shooting victim was able to be transported to the hospital his quick-thinking heroic actions and determination prevented the loss of life officer Davis and officer Shawn a Tom's are receiving a life-saving award for the following incident on January 12 2017 officers Davis and Tom's were dispatched to a crash in the area of 20th and Highland the officers found a man seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle unresponsive but breathing officers Davis and Tom's called for medical attention and attempted to rouse the individual but they were unsuccessful less than two minutes later the male subjects stopped breathing and no longer had a pulse officer Tom's administered rescue breaths with a mask while officer Davis began the chest compressions after one full cycle of CPR the man started to breathe and had a faint heartbeat after being stabilized the man was able to walk to the ambulance where he was transported to a local hospital for further treatment officers Davis and Tom's directly responsible for saving this man's life through the prompt assessment and rapid use of CPR officer Matthew Jay Wentzel is receiving a life-saving award and Lucy Reyes argon is receiving the meritorious conduct citizen award hello June 29 2016 officer Wentzel responded to a welfare check at an overpass bridge at North 16th and wes clyborn a witness called 9-1-1 provided vital information regarding the behavior of a local teen preparing to jump MS Reyes argonne a nurse who specializes in psychological needs saw the teen in distress and positioned her vehicle into traffic she sprinted over to the teen immediately developed a rapport with him this effective dialogue of MS Reyes are gone allowing officer Wentzel to successfully grab the suicidal team by the waist and pull him to safety officer wensel and MS Reyes are going displayed teamwork and cooperation while working together to prevent a potentially tragic incident for district 4 led by captain Andre Williams the Medal of Valor combat award is presented to officers Jason J Deering and Jessie M Matson the purple star award is presented to officer Shane M Bishop may 5th 2016 this group responded to an armed robbery in progress at a business as officer Deering and officer Madison arrived on the scene they saw an armed suspect in the store officer Bishop took up position in the rear of the building when the suspect suddenly left the store fled on foot and the foot pursuit was on the suspect tried to hide but he was found a short time later behind a garage and the officers attempted to take him into custody at this time the suspect began firing at our officers officers Deering and Matson extremists fire with the suspect striking him several times and once the suspect was taken into custody it was revealed that officer Bishop was struck on the left side of his chest by the bullet officer Bishop thankfully was wearing his ballistic body armor the bullet did not penetrate his body during this deadly encounter these officers exhibited extreme coverage and courage and focus and professionalism and we are so glad to have each and every one of you here on this stage tonight [Applause] the life-saving award is presented to officer Darryl L Anderson on October 18 2016 a suspicious vehicle pulled into district 4 parking lot officer Anderson along with other officers went outside to check it out the driver told the officers the passenger had overdosed on heroin officer Anderson obtained a CPR barrier mask and another officer obtained an arcane kit the narcan kit was administered but the subject was not responsive so officer Anderson performed rescue breaths into the Milwaukee Fire Department responded the subject was then transported to the hospital where he recovered officer Anderson's actions saved this man's life [Applause] the life-saving award is presented to officer Nicholas our sly get that right okay good because I plan on reporting on you for many years to come on November 6 2016 while serving as an early shift Booker at district 4 officer sly was performing a regular cell check on a prisoner in the cellblock while doing so he noticed the prisoner hanging motionless from a t-shirt he had tied into a noose around his neck officer slice down to the Booker's alarm opened the cell door and cut the news from around the neck at the time the prisoner was unconscious and not breathing officer so I started to massage the prisoners chest to try and prompt him to regain consciousness and a short time later the prisoner began breathing on his own and his pulse was restored officer slice quick thinking and decisive actions saved the life of a suicidal prisoner [Applause] the excellence in police service award is presented to officer Christopher M shorts officer shorts primary responsibilities are focused on burglary investigations which includes identifying trends developing suspect information and in the summer of 2016 officer shorts received information from the New Berlin Police Department it was about a large burglary ring recovered property officer shorts was able to identify a rare wristwatch stolen from a Milwaukee couple and developed two suspects in the case now both suspects were charged with multiple burglaries in District four and sentenced to prison time in September of 2016 there was a traffic stop conducted in the district four on a suspicious vehicle the man inside that car had a large amount of stolen property and it was officer shorts who recognized a jewelry box stolen in a recent burglary and returned it to its rightful owner the suspect in that case was later charged in connection with five burglaries then in October of 2016 officer shorts received a call from a burglary victim stating his high-end camera that was stolen and it was being sold on Craigslist officer shorts orchestrated a purchase of the camera and the suspect was eventually taken into custody not very smart huh officer shorts I live with it so that guy gets the dumb criminal award but we honor officer shorts for finding that suspect who was then charged with six felonies and three misdemeanors officer shorts actions attitude certainly in keeping with the highest traditions of police work [Applause] the Meritorious Service Award is presented to officers ajm turkey or is it Asia Asia Asia do I have that right okay okay a joke close enough no tell me Asia okay here we go take to the Meritorious Service Award is presented to officers AJ M Turkey Irving R Hernandez my stray Jonathan M Miller and Lawrence E Pope it was January 8th of 2017 officers Hernandez mainstream Miller responded to the 5800 block of North 76th Street they heard gunfire there these officers saw numerous subjects firing shots so they ran they ran towards one of them and were able to take him quickly into custody at the shooting scene officers Turkey and Polk found a woman who had been hit by the gunfire they immediately began CPR until the Milwaukee Fire Department arrived they then noticed a male citizen near the victim who had an empty gun holster the citizen admitted to firing the shot and was taken into custody this group of officers showed tremendous restraint while encountering armed individuals and they remained vigilant in their duties [Applause] for district 5 led by captain Timothy hire sergeant Barry T Weissenborn is receiving the life-saving award October 13th 2016 sergeant Weissenborn responded to a call regarding an individual who was at a bridge stating she was going to jump the sergeant started a conversation with the woman and he was able to build a rapport he asked the woman if she wanted to get help and she said yes sergeant wise and borns quick thinking heroic actions and determination prevented the loss of life [Applause] officers Michael a gasser Ryan M Miller and Suzanne else we de are receiving the life-saving award gazelle officer Michael L gazelle Ryan M Miller and Suzanne else we de are receiving the life-saving award on July 9 2016 these officers were flagged down outside of district 5 unresponsive man in the parking lot the man wasn't breathing didn't have a pulse his eyes were rolled back and his skin was blue immediately these officers started to perform chest compressions and rescue breaths the officers were able to gain a pulse and get the subject to breathe on his own again at which point narcan was applied and the man started breathing again and the walkie Fire Department captain on the scene advised that it had not been for the actions of these officers the subject would have died as a result of his heroin overdose Thank You officers [Applause] sergeant Jeffrey s Krieger and police officer Michael T Driscoll and Cody C Wetzel are receiving the Meritorious Service Award on September 20th 2016 these officers responded to a shooting three hundred block North Holton upon arrival the officers heard yelling inside a home and a short time later a woman came out she had been shot and she pointed to a male suspect thus up the suspect then ran towards the back door to try and block the officers the officers approached the sup suspect in another room of the house they ordered him to surrender that suspect was then taken into custody and charged with the shooting the officers handling of this volatile and dangerous situation is to be commended as they conducted themselves in a professional tactful cautious manner officers Chad ebo Yaak Andrew R gross Daniel J su Tech and Ryan n wonder are receiving the Meritorious Service Award December 10th 2016 officers wandering grouse saw suspicious vehicle without of state license plates circling the area near North frat knee and East chambers a few minutes later the driver of the vehicle took out a semi-automatic handgun and fired two shots at the officers thankfully the officers were not injured and the vehicle sped off officers Boyett and su tech caught up with the vehicle in the forty-nine hundred block of North 25th Street and saw the driver throw a gun out the window the vehicle stopped a few minutes later and the driver was taken into custody the firearm recovered the driver was charged with several crimes by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office this fast response and keen attention to detail by these officers resulted in the quick apprehension of the suspect job well done [Applause] boy ya can suit tech it sounds like the new Starsky and Hutch right they're ready for anything black in suit at tonight at eight I love that it's on it's on tape I'm holding that copyright officer Hector M Sosa is receiving the Meritorious Service Award a May 5th 2006 officer Sosa was assigned to the criminal justice facility and was acting as a liaison officer a st. Francis police officer at the facility took a prisoner to a nurse for a medical screening and the Prisoner proceeded to use the restroom when the prisoner didn't come out though the st. Francis officer opened the door and quickly called for officer Sosa the man had a knife and was bleeding officer Rose Sosa ran to help the st. Francis officer he ordered the prisoner drop the knife and then rendered first aid the prisoner was transported to a local hospital for further treatment officer Sosa demonstrated courage and exceptionally quick thinking when confronted with an individual who was determined to cause harm for district 6 led by captain Jeffrey points the Meritorious Service Award is presented to sergeant Robert S teal November 10th 2016 sergeant teal responded to a suspicious auto complaint 3500 block of South 27th when he got there he saw a van parked next to the store now as sergeant teal began to investigate a number of subjects fled from the store through a smashed window sergeant teal tried to stop a subject entering the van and realized he was about to be pinned so he jumped inside the van inside the van there was a huge struggle between two of the subjects and sergeant teal the driver eventually stopped the van and backup squads help sergeant TL take five suspects into custody further investigation found stolen clothing and shoes inside the van MMA has nothing on the MPD sergeant Till's actions and decisiveness helped bring about the successful arrest of five suspects [Applause] the Meritorious Service Award is presented to officers Michael J Dietrich and Stephen a pincher March 6 2016 the officers responding to a shooting at a building in the 3300 block of South 92nd Street a witness told the officers the gunman was in an upstairs unit the officers began to speak with the suspect when suddenly the suspect left the apartment complex with a rifle over his shoulder and began walking towards the officers these officers ordered the suspect to drop his weapon which he eventually did and was placed into custody the officers realized the danger the suspect had posed he had just shot three people the urgency to stop the threat was there and these quick and decisive actions stopped the suspect from inflicting further injuries the valorous conduct citizen award is presented to mr. Abram Cavazos oh and his brother Matthias March 10th 2017 seventeen year old Abram and his 12 year old brother Matthias were with the family at a hotel swimming pool on Milwaukee's Southside Matthias was in the pool when he noticed a young boy sinking toward the bottom Matthias quickly swam down and retrieved the unconscious boy Matthias then started CPR on the boy and a short time later Abram took over the CPR the brothers continued to work until the boy regained consciousness the young child was later transported to a local hospital where he recovered both Matthias and Abram were assertive in their recognition to render aid to someone in need they took immediate action and to do their Swift and valiant efforts a child survived for district 7 led by captain Boris russinovich or is it person ovitch no Tursunov it's right okay I was right the first time officer Evan L domine is receiving the Medal of Valor combat award and officer Andrew J Snell is receiving the Meritorious Service Award January 5th 2017 these officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle wanted in regards to a homicide the vehicle parked in the 3900 block of North 72nd Street it was occupied by a driver and a passenger during the traffic stop the passenger pointed a loaded gun at officer dominic officer Dominique quickly grabbed the suspects firearm to prevent him from being shot officer domine twisted the firearm out of the suspects and officer schnell helped his partner by decentralizing the suspect and taking him into custody the suspect was later interviewed the suspect was later interviewed and stated he was intent to have the officer shoot and kill him the bravery and courage of these officers during this incident demonstrates their commitment to the citizens of Millwall [Applause] we asked officer schnell to stay on stage as he is receiving a life-saving award October 29 2016 officer schnell was in his personal vehicle and driving home after completing his shift at the intersection of Fond du Lac and center he saw a Milwaukee police squad car in the middle of an intersection dealing with an uncooperative man the other officer told officer schnell the man had just been shot officer schnell immediately started to assist with first aid officer schnell still wearing his duty belt and the other officer retrieved his tourniquet and hand it to him officer schnell then applied the tourniquet to the subjects leg and the other officer applied direct pressure to the subjects injury they did this into the Milwaukee Fire Department and arrived on the scene and had it not been for officer schnell showing up when he did with the tourniquet and getting involved the victim may not have survived [Applause] Sergeant David M fuerte is receiving the Meritorious Service Award November 1st 2016 sergeant fuerte was flagged down by a school bus driver in the 6000 block of West Berlin she said there was a girl on board a female student armed with a knife on the bus the student was making statements that she was going to harm the driver sergeant Forte told the passengers on the bus get out of the vehicle for their safety and then sergeant Huerta who has Crisis Intervention Team training started to talk with this student and began to defuse a potentially violent situation after several minutes of conversation she dropped her knife and was taken into custody sergeant for FK through his courageous actions and calm demeanor brought a peaceful end to a very tense situation officer Matthew Jay Terpstra is receiving the Meritorious Service Award December 31st 2016 Officer terpstra was monitoring a large crowd gathering near a bar in the 4200 block of her life officer terpstra suddenly heard multiple gunshots and as a one-man squad he headed straight to the scene he found two subjects shooting back and forth at each other and gave it chase to one of the subjects he quickly took that subject into custody for recklessly endangering safety officer Turks were wilfully entered a dangerous situation and tactfully and tactically engaged with an armed subject his quick actions caused an active-shooter to stop and reduce the risk of further injury to the citizens in the immediate area [Applause] you mr. Melvin Ella Reese is receiving the meritorious conduct award melvin recess served for 29 years Wow as an auxilary with the Milwaukee Police Department much of that time in District seven he has completed the MPD citizens Academy and the FBI citizens Academy he also serves as a faith-based chaplain mr. Reese is dedicated to helping the citizens of Milwaukee through his volunteer efforts for the last three decades [Applause] for the intelligence fusion center led by captain David Salazar the Meritorious Service Award is presented to crime analyst Keisha a harbor analyst harper's duties and responsibilities include supporting the North investigations division and providing case support to the robbery task force December 2016 analyst Harker became aware that a juvenile offender was arrested as a potential subject involved driving a stolen vehicle in an armed robbery several other unidentified actors were able to get away from police using various investigative and intelligence gathering techniques analyst Harper was able to identify the offenders the juvenile was associating with these this intelligence along with possible locations was provided to the robbery task force so officers were able to conduct surveillance and located four suspects they believed to be responsible and took them into custody these suspects were found to be in possession of a loaded rifle analysts Harker effectively analyzed relevant information and reached independent decisions about what was important and to whom she devoted time and energy while persistently pursuing leads boy did it pay off for the Metropolitan investigations division led by captain Paul formula detectives Eric M Gould Branson and James F Hutchinson are receiving the excellence in Police Service Award Assistant District Attorney grant Hubner is receiving the meritorious conduct award in 2011 and 2012 there was a series of shootings fatal and non-fatal connected to a group of suspects who identified themselves as the Uptown boys one of the suspects was involved in three homicides and a non-fatal shooting this suspect was determined to kill any witnesses who he felt may cooperate with law enforcement these detectives an assistant district attorney Hubner worked together and built a case against this suspect charges were issued against the suspect and in 2016 a jury found him guilty and a judge sentenced him to two consecutive life terms with no possibility for parole the efforts of this group highlights MPD's partnership with the District Attorney's Office to get violent offenders once and for all off our streets [Applause] mr. Kevin D little is posthumously receiving the valorous conduct citizen award tonight his parents are here with us to accept it on his behalf October 20th 2015 the Milwaukee Fire Department responded to a house fire 5600 block of North 36th Street two children ten year old Kevin and his cousin two-year-old Tinashe trapped in an upstairs bedroom firefighters found the two children under a mattress kevin was lying on top and shielding Tinashe tragically both children would die it was later determined the fire was intentionally set and a suspect was later arrested for the crime based upon interviews Kevin's grandmother said Kevin woke her up to alert her to the fire and she gathered the other children to get out of the house Kevin ran back to Tinashe 's bedroom Kevin only ten demonstrated exemplary courage under the most extreme circumstances by alerting his grandmother he saved her life and the lives of two younger siblings and two younger cousins than in the ultimate act of bravery he returned to Tinashe 's bedroom it will never be known why Kevin and Tinashe couldn't escape but it is clear he chose to stay with her rather than abandon her kevin disregarded his own safety and his life for the lives of his family members he is forever young we are forever in his debt [Applause] [Applause] for the neighborhood task force led by captain Leslie chilly the life-saving award is presented to sergeant Corey else Trey and officers Sara M Beland Laurie C Borchert ela geo Cavazos the third Deonte T King Gerald M Coolidge junior Austin M Richards Adam J Rush and Kevin D Tipton November 24th 2016 sergeants Trey on patrol in the Bay View neighborhood he smelled smoke sergeant spray quickly came upon a house in a 600 block of East over it was engulfed in flames sergeant stray alerted the other officers to the situation the group entered the home and helped evacuate nine people many of them who were asleep at the time the occupants all made it to safety thanks to the actions of these officers vigilant quick response and a call to serve that's not defined by just a list of duties but to go in and save life at all costs congratulations one and all [Applause] yeah we got to get a group picture of this I know my colleague Evan Krug will interviewed this group you can see it tonight on the CBS 58 News at 10:00 you got to fill the dead air with a plug don't you I mean you don't want me to complain about what it's like to tweet out chief Flynn in a press conference right you know how to spell ameliorate ever or cumulatively awesome job the life-saving award is presented to Officer Stephen Jay Cusco John H Larson Guadalupe ei Ramirez Cervantes and Robert J Wilkinson and mr. Eddie Ramirez Perez is receiving the valorous conduct citizen award December 17 2016 mr. Ramirez Perez in the 2600 block of South Chase Avenue heard screaming nearby two men had fallen through the ice and they were struggling mr. Ramirez Perez called my mom on found a tarp and lowered it to the man whose head was going underwater and told him grab onto it he held onto the tarp to keep the victim from drowning until the officers arrived on see this group of officers got a piece of rope and rescued both men from the frigid water the victims were then transported to a local hospital for treatment this group showed teamwork by working together and putting their own lives at risk to help two men in need [Applause] the Meritorious Service Award is presented to officer Kent D Tussle on November 30th 2016 officer Tasha was near North ninth Street and West State Street when he saw several people arguing near a vehicle a few seconds later the officer heard two gunshots coming from the direction of the argument while he approached the car told the driver put your hands up and removed a loaded gun from the driver's lap the driver who is a convicted felon was taken into custody and later charged with recklessly endangering safety and felon in possession of a firearm officer - shell - quick and decisive action during a dangerous and volatile situation [Applause] for the North investigations division led by Captain William Beauchesne detectives Jena a Milan Chi Marco y Salam and Michael J's slum Chesky they are receiving the Meritorious Service Award detectives Vanessa M harms Phillips ISA moved the second Michael J tanum and officer Christopher M Heidemann from the intelligence fusion center are also receiving the Meritorious Service Award Assistant District Attorney Megan and Williamson is receiving the meritorious conduct award May 2015 this team began an investigation into a group who was committing armed robberies and carjackings this group was called the 25 caliber crew because of the casings from the weapons they were using the MPD team interviewed victims and witnesses executed search warrants processed recovered vehicles and developed suspects MPD worked with the DA's office to develop a criminal complaint against a suspect and this suspect was charged a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to more than 40 years in prison because of this team's dedication the suspect was held accountable for the crimes he committed for the office of community outreach and education led by captain ray banks the meritorious conduct award is presented to miss C M Adams miss Adams was appointed to the Milwaukee Police Department in 1991 as an exalted Ziller a member she is still currently active twenty-five years later she has met the requirements obeyed and executed to the best of her ability the orders designated with this assignment she has demonstrated commitment and has made a significant contribution above and beyond the ordinary call of duty to District seven in 1997 she was awarded the title auxilary of the Year auxilary Adams is recognized for her outstanding work by being presented with the meritorious conduct award [Applause] we now welcome the following members on stage as they are receiving the excellence in Police Service Award for their work on the wild 100s investigation detective guy Jay Fraley detective Kent you Gordon detective Steven n Jacon Jacon Jacon Jacon detective Steven n jaqen detective Kyle our Moore's insky detective Jake d.push Nick detective Christopher K slaughter officer Christopher D Conway officer Jonathan e foreigner officer James R Jordan officer Travis J young and officer Christopher s Nava ret 2015 this group which included MPD members the FBI the US Marshal Service the drug enforcement agent Department of Justice Department of Corrections the high intensity drug trafficking area the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office and the Racine police department they all joined together to combat a violent street gang known as the wild 100's this group executed dozens of search warrants made more than 250 arrests recovered more than 100 firearms and seized a whole bunch of drugs these arrests helped solve various crimes and the violent offenders were prosecuted on both state and federal levels this groups work ethic and professionalism helped bring justice to victims and safety to the streets of Milwaukee's northwest side [Applause] we conclude with the unit service award and recognizing the MPD robbery task force from the Milwaukee Police Department captain william motion lieutenant paul lau sergeants amy bartle hall board quest Steven Herrmann misty Torres Paul Ville javac and we some yagna detectives Michael Alice David Anderson Rodolfo Alvarado Ryan Birdman Eric Drager guy Fraley Matthew Goldberg Marc harms Daniel knitter Jeana Malucci Jake push Nick Stephanie Rams koogler Marco Salam William Sheehan and Michael slum Chesky police officers Harold Alma's Matthew Brooks Jeffrey climb Philip Ferguson Travis young Lewis kopetsky Richard Litwin Ross Miller Jose Ramirez Joseph Serio and Steven Strasser in addition we ask these law enforcement partners to join us on stage from the FBI Ben ruse Aaron lucker and Brad Simmons we also asked to join us on the stage at this time from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office investigator Matt Gibson in 2015 the City of Milwaukee experienced an increase in car jackings where vehicles were stolen from victims many times at gunpoint due to the violent nature of these crimes hit B came clear that a dedicated joint investigative and patrol effort was needed to curb this problem the robbery task force began in December of 2015 and investigated carjacking offenses identified suspects who have participated in these crimes and assembled criminal cases to bring these offenders to prosecution in the first month alone car jackings decreased by almost 50 percent citywide and dozens of offenders were arrested leading to multiple criminal charges the task force has been recognized as a regional asset and regularly helped suburban agencies in their carjacking investigations when they coincide with local investigations this unrelenting and tireless effort by these men and women have brought justice and closure to the citizens of Milwaukee J OB do n the job well done [Applause] [Music] and we think the families as well because we know there were a lot of miss birthday parties and baseball games while all this work was going on thank you so much can't thank you enough tonight makes it worth it right come on nobody wants to go in front isn't that nice to see some humility - we're gonna do a row at a time because chief Flynn said so right please yeah come on get a nice picture cuz then it's back to work tomorrow you wonderful thank you so much again for inviting me so I can personally take part in this and thank you my hope for you is that you truly rise and triumph over the cruelty in this world Godspeed to one and all Godspeed thank you Thank You Michelle thank you for your help tonight we present you this small token of our appreciation it's a bag of Milwaukee PD swag and for those of you that want MPD swag you can buy it in the hallway so I'd just like to say again thank you it's my get out of jail card free in here there thank you [Applause] I just like to take a moment to again one last round of applause for all of our award recipients thank you so much for being here tonight Thank You families Thank You children who behaved incredibly well this evening in this very hot room we do have refreshments and cookies across the hall for you so please stop in room 182 for refreshments provided by the recreational Association of Milwaukee Police also feel free to walk around the building and view our historical displays and the memorials to fallen officers in the corridor to your right once again I like to put out a couple thank-yous Waukee police ban retired lieutenant Karen dubis your fantastic the Milwaukee Police Department honor guard Miss Elizabeth Liz desmo who does coordinate our merit award ceremony and our committee our committee that is led by inspector Terrence Gordon mr. bill Bono and the print shop for tonight's program our emcee for tonight miss Michelle McCormack and of course the Academy staff that staffs this whole event our auxiliaries and our police aides thank you all for coming this evening have a great night [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music]