City of Seattle Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

NEWS ADVISORY
SUBJECT:   Seattle Police Department Award Employees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:    10/20/2006  7:00:00 PM	FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Police Media Relations  (206) 684-5520

The Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Police Foundation honored the outstanding work performed by exceptional employees in their commitment to public safety and the community on Friday, October 20 from 6 to 10 p.m.* at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 1400 – Sixth Avenue. One of the most important ways the Police Foundation achieves its mission to support Seattle Police employees is through their sponsorship of the Awards Banquet. Over 900 employees, their family and friends, and members of the Seattle community attended. The banquet also raises money to support public safety initiatives funded throughout the year by the Seattle Police Foundation. In five years, the Foundation has funded over 85 projects in partnership with SPD.

“The Annual Awards Banquet is one of my proudest moments as the Department and the community honor the courage and compassion of the men and women of this accomplished agency,” said Chief Gil Kerlikowske. “This annual event is a very special occasion,” said Mike Malone, chair of the Foundation. “The Seattle Police Foundation is proud to bring over 900 people – including members of the Seattle Police Department, business leadership and committed members of our communities – together to honor the special group of men and women for their bravery and professional commitment above and beyond the call of duty.” Seattle Police honored 54 winners in 14 distinct categories. Here are their names and some of their heroic accomplishments according to their categories.

On March 25, 2006, Seattle Police received calls at about 7 a.m. regarding shots heard in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of the 300 block of 22nd Avenue E. This day began what would be on of the most horrific crimes to occur in Seattle since the Wah Mee homicides. Several officers performed extraordinary acts of bravery and valor directly influencing the outcome of the Capitol Hill homicides.

Officer Steve Leonard – Medal of Valor: Leonard was in the neighborhood. He heard shots and immediately drove towards the area of the shots and saw a large group of young people fleeing down the street. He learned that the suspect shot at the porch of a house and went inside. At the same time, Leonard saw a young man with a gunshot wound lying on the sidewalk and another person near him. Disregarding his own safety as no back up had yet arrived, he immediately put himself between the victim and house where the shooting took place. After scanning his surroundings, he realized the armed suspect was still at large and proceeded towards the house in his search for the suspect. Knowing he was the only officer at the scene, he still continued his pursuit. Using available vegetation as concealment, he saw a person matching the suspect’s description who was carrying a shotgun. Leonard made the heroic split-second decision to confront the suspect, rather than observe his direction of travel and wait for other officers to arrive. Leaving the safety of his concealment, he confronted the suspect and ordered him to drop his weapon. The suspect turned the gun on himself and instantly dropped to the ground. Keeping his composure, Leonard clearly reported what had occurred to the dispatcher. Remarkably he continued to actively respond to the unfolding scene by becoming part of the contact team and clearing the house.

Officers Michael McDonald, Dave Foley, Eileen Warner, Terry Whalen, Rebecca Miller, and Elizabeth Consalvi – Distinguished Service Award: Honored as the Capitol Hill Contact Team, these officers are the ones who immediately responded to the crime scene. Although the suspect had ended the threat outside, they were unsure if additional suspects were in the house as the house needed to be cleared for safety and assessed for any other injuries. It was this team to voluntarily enter the house and do just that. Entering the house revealed a horrific crime scene: Four bodies were found inside the entry way and several individuals were crouched in corners, hiding in closets, under beds, and behind doors. They knew that every person in the house would have been in danger if there had been additional suspects. Understanding the consequence, they continued to compassionately and aggressively usher those victims out of the house. The skill and speed in which they cleared the house was exceptional, as it allowed others to enter and begin the work of returning some sense of safety.

On March 28, 2006, a lone gunman entered the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and began shooting at the people inside the building. Over the course of a few minutes, he shot six people and began a standoff with police. One of the victims, despite being told to put down the phone called 911 to alert police. These are the employees who are honored for their exemplary work that day.

Officers Donald Johnson, Matthew Pasquan, Frank Poblocki, and Tad Willoughby – Medal of Valor: When the shots rang out at the Jewish Federation center, Johnson, Pasquan, Poblocki, and Willoughby were alerted to the in-progress shooting by people fleeing the building. The four were on break at the Starbucks around the corner. As they ran toward the building, they saw a woman bleeding from two gunshot wounds to her abdomen. Johnson and Willoughby immediately went to her aid – disregarding the open door into the building that left them exposed to the suspect. As Poblocki realized that the open door left them a great risk, he immediately took a position to protect his fellow officers and the victim. Knowing the main entrance was on 3rd Avenue, Pasquan ran to provide cover and prevent the gunman from continuing his attack if he were able to get out. Even while providing life-saving first aid and words of reassurance, Johnson had the presence of mind to alert incoming officers to stay clear of potential problem sites. Willoughby too provided protective watch while directing medics to their location. Johnson and Willoughby continued their first aid efforts for nearly 20 minutes until medical aid was available. These officers were dangerously exposed to the suspect’s gunfire, as they had no immediate cover available unless they left the victim on the sidewalk. All the while aware of the extremely dangerous position they were in, Johnson, Willoughby, Poblocki, and Pasquan chose to disregard their personal safety and continued to protect and provide aid to their victim.

Sergeants Michael Coomes and Mark Worstman, Officers Thomas Mooney, William Collins, Michelle Griesheimer, James Stephens, Dwayne Pirak, Steven Mathisen, Timothy Pasternak, Clay Stockwell, and John Novak – Distinguished Service Award: All are honored as the West Precinct Response Team. Mooney and Collins arrived at the Jewish Federation Center. Should the suspect attempt to leave the building, they knew there needed to be an arrest and cover team. Before a supervisor could assign them, they quickly agreed to take on that task while placing themselves at critical sites along the building exterior. Coomes arrived on-scene and took command. He immediately deployed officers tactically to contain the scene, established the arrest team, and ensured that the victims were given immediate first and evacuated to a medical triage site. Meanwhile, Coomes and Griesheimer saw another gunshot victim stumble out of the building. Both exposed themselves to potential gunfire by running to the woman’s aid and getting her to safety. Griesheimer had the presence of mind to begin applying direct pressure to the victim’s injury until the medics arrived. Stephens was working off-duty across the street and realized the windows facing the scene left the public at YMCA, many of whom had disabilities, vulnerable to stray round. He coordinated an orderly evacuation of the facility, away from harm. The SWAT team then arrives. Worstman, Pirak, Mathisen, Pasternak, Novak, and Stockwell saw the gunman was surrendering to Collins and Mooney. They were still concerned a second gunman was inside the building. The question in everyone’s mind: “Could this be a planned act of terrorism?” With these concerns in their minds, they knew there were still victims inside the building who needed immediate medical assistance. With the assistance of Mooney, Collins and Pasquan, they cleared the building to allow the medics to immediately begin treatment of the injured. No other suspect was found, but they located suspicious packages that could have been explosive devices. Despite the danger, they held their ground until the victims were evacuated. The actions of these individuals were inspirational examples of selfless, disciplined teamwork with total disregard to the real danger they were in. More people may have died had it not been for their combined efforts.

Debra Cepeda and Lieth Nedell – Outstanding Public Service Award: That same day, Cepeda was working as Chief Dispatcher in the Communication Unit, ensuring that all radio frequencies are operational. Nedell, a dispatcher, took the first call from a victim inside the Jewish Federation center. Before either realized what was happening, the victim handed the phone to the gunman so he could talk with the police. Taking turns on the phone with the suspect, both were able to calm him down and get information about the victims – buying time for those who were still inside the building. Had Cepeda and Nedell not engage the suspect in a conversation, the gunman could have easily continued his shooting rampage doing more harm. Both are credited with making a difference in the outcome of the situation and are recognized for their outstanding service.

Sergeant Keith Swank, Janis Ueno, Patti Jo Crooks, and Stephanie Rezentes – Excellence Award: Later that day at about 4 p.m., the Communications Center began receiving calls concerning the incident. Dispatchers Ueno, Crooks and Rezentes and the sergeant were calmly responding to calls as they handled the myriad of issues that simultaneously emerged. Swank and the other dispatchers provided the support and questions to keep the suspect on line. Ueno was the zone dispatcher for the West Precinct, and directed responding officers to the scene, relayed information to them and responded to all their requests. Crooks worked with the Chief Dispatcher managing citywide response, while Rezentes worked with Ueno in keeping the precinct’s radio under control. All these individuals remained calm and performed at an exceptionally high level during this stressful and dynamic situation. They went beyond the limits of their training in dealing first hand with the suspect, and the resolution of speaks volumes about their dedication and professionalism.

On April 23, 2006, the Wallingford neighborhood began Sunday morning began with sounds of gunshots when several calls came in regarding what was unfolding on a typically quiet residential street.

Officer Marshall Harner – Medal of Valor: Harner was the first to arrive as he responded to a report of gunshots. He patrolled the street looking for the source of the complaint, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. On his second watch and without warning, a suspect emerged from the street, stood directly in front of his patrol car and opened fire – shooting multiple rounds directly at him, striking the car and hitting him. Putting his car in reverse, he sped backwards creating distance between himself and the suspect. After gaining safe, tactical distance, Harner used his car for cover and secured his assault rifle from the trunk. Still under fire, Harner was able to return fire from behind the car. After the shooting stopped, the suspect turned the gun on himself and took his own life. Harner maintained his composure and tactical coverage as officers responded to survey the scene. Having the only long rifle, he maintained his post even though he was injured to protect responding officers and was engaged throughout the incident. With his training, Harner performed with tenacity and dedication under fire until the situation was well under control.

Sergeant Alan Bernstein – Distinguished Service Award: Bernstein responded to the call of reported gunshots in Wallingford and heard Harner was being fired upon. He blocked the roadway, got out of his patrol car and advanced towards the scene. The suspect, who had been firing at Harner, also fired at Bernstein as he approached to assist, striking the car with the bullet and tearing the front window and driver’s headrest. Bernstein remained calm under the intense pressure of being faced with a life or death situation. He maintained excellent perspective in noting the locations of officers responding and the status of Harner’s condition, including the downed suspect. Bernstein is being recognized for facing an extremely dangerous situation and managing it to a successful end.

On March 1, 2006, a Seattle home caught fire with two occupants inside. The fire went undetected until Officer Jacob Haines, on routine patrol, saw the smoke and responded.

Officer Jacob Haines – Medal of Valor: Haines was on his daily patrol route that early morning with minimal visibility, and happened to notice dark smoke coming from a house and reported the fire. While waiting for additional units to arrive, Haines began checking for occupants, forcing entry to the house where he discovered a disoriented person wandering, whose hair was smoking. After several moments of refusing to leave the house, Haines finally convinced the man to leave. Several officers had already arrived. Safely escorting the victim out to other officers, it was Haines and Parnell who continued to check the house for other occupants. Searching and breaking some windows to see in the house, they found an unresponsive female in a bedroom. As they began the rescue, Seattle Firefighter Jason Lynch had just arrived so they all pulled the woman to safety. A disregard for his own safety, it was Haines’ quick response that surely saved two lives that morning.

Officer James Parnell – Distinguished Service Award: That same early morning, Parnell responded to an already engulfed house fire with two people trapped inside as one of the victims was being rescued. They both knew another person was still inside and the chance of survival was rapidly being minimized. Because they could no longer go inside the house, they began checking it from the outside – breaking several windows to see inside, each time putting themselves at risk with flames, heat and smoke. As they broke a window, they saw an unresponsive female and immediately began to rescue her. As fire trucks arrived, Haines and Parnell who were trying to extricate her through the window were further assisted by Seattle Firefighter Lynch. It was Parnell who disregarded his own safety by remaining in a hazardous position near the heat and smoke while trying to rescue the woman victim. His unselfishness was instrumental in getting the victim to safety.

Officers Eric Holland and Brian Kokesh – Medal of Valor: On April 25, 2006, the Seattle Police Communications Center received numerous calls from citizens reporting a “crazed” man with a gun was walking towards Broadway Ave. E. After an argument with his girlfriend and while carrying a loaded gun, the suspect began to engage in fights with people and vowed to shoot people on the busy sidewalks of Broadway. Holland and Kokesh responded to the call and located the angry suspect. Before they could reason with him, the suspect pulled a gun from behind his back and aimed at the officers. Upon being attacked, both Holland and Kokesh drew their service weapons and defended themselves. The officers’ focus in overcoming the suspect’s attack illustrates great physical and mental skill, and both showed great bravery in confronting the suspect. They put their lives on the line to protect the terrified bystanders. If not for their actions that day, many could have become victims of the suspect’s rage and recklessness.

Officer Tim Allen – Distinguished Service Award: Allen was on routine patrol when two rival gangs encountered each other. The rival gangs began a heated gun battle along a major thoroughfare where many bystanders were at risk of being caught in the crossfire. Alone and seeing what was happening, Allen immediately called for assistance and engaged the suspect. He saw an armed gang member with a 9-mm MAC11 machine pistol and exited his vehicle, exchanging fire with the suspect. As shots were fired, the suspect was hit and went down. The crime scene investigation located 32 shell casings: two bullets went through a window, two through the Catholic Church and several bullets struck vehicles in the area. Allen displayed extreme bravery by engaging with multiple armed suspects in order to protect the citizens in the area. Had it not been for his quick reaction, the gun battle could have raged for a longer time, increasing the risk to all of those who found themselves in the crossfire.

Officer Rob Cierley – Distinguished Service Award: On February 20, 2006, Seattle experienced a typical winter morning at a freezing 37 degrees. Seattle Police Communications Center received a call reporting that a man had just jumped from the University St. Pier into the Puget Sound. Cierley was among the first officers to respond and realized the victim would drown before a rescue boat could reach the scene. A pedestrian, who identified himself as a Royal Canadian Navy jumped into the water to rescue the man, but was too overwhelmed by the cold and returned to shore. Stripping down to wool uniform pants and heavy boots, Cierley dove into the water to rescue the drowning man, while keeping the victim’s head above water heading toward shore. As both got closer, others helped rig a line and pulled the victim to shore. Only when he was safely ashore and receiving medical treatment did Officer Cierley climb out of the freezing water. Cierley’s sergeant notes: “Officers may have been capable of swimming that far in heavy clothing, supporting an unresponsive adult and withstanding the extreme shock of the cold water – but no officer tried.” To nobody’s surprise, Cierley did.

Officer Clayton Powell – Distinguished Service Award: On June 4, 2006, Powell responded to a disturbance involving a man who was throwing heavy objects out of his home and threatening to set his house on fire. As officers attempted to calm the man down and gain control of the situation, they smelled a strong odor of gas coming out of the home. Before anything could be done, the man lit a match and the house quickly caught fire. Several officers attempted to go through the front door and rescue the man, but were unable to get close to the house because of the heat and smoke. Powell then saw the man pressed up against a bedroom window gasping for air. He picked up the same hand truck that the suspect had earlier thrown out and smashed it through the window and jumped up to grab the suspect’s arm and pulled him through the window onto the pavement to safety. Had it not been for Powell’s quick action, the man would have surely succumbed to smoke and heat.

A special Lifetime Service Award is given to Chaplain John Oas for the invaluable service he has provided to the men and women of the Seattle Police Department over the past 32 years. Chaplain Oas has provided support, counsel and a compassionate ear to an untold number of employees. His leadership, commitment, and overall determination have been critical to the success of the Community Chaplains Program. His devotion to the department has earned him the respect and admiration of those who have sought out his services.

In the category of the Precinct Officers of the Year, who are nominated by their precinct captains, the winners are Southwest Precinct Officer Roberto Sabay, South Precinct Officer James Jackson, East Precinct Officer Matthew Hyra and Detective Melvin Britt, West Precinct Officers Greg Neubert and Mike Tiejten, and North Precinct Officer Jim Vandebogart.

The Officer of the Year is T.J. Berg assigned at the Southwest Precinct. The Detectives of the Year are Rudy Gonzales and Michele Hackett of the Narcotics Unit. Officer Damon Deese receives the Field Training Officer of the Year. Bruce Hills of Information Technology is awarded Civilian of the Year.

The Community Ambassador Award winners are Detective Gary Kinner of the Narcotics Unit and Maggie Olsen of the Research, Grants & Corporate Support Unit. Detective Dan Stokke in Criminal Intelligence is also a winner of the Outstanding Public Service Award. The Impact Award winners are Detectives Dag T. Aakervik and Jim Rodgers of the Puget Sound Violent Crimes Task Force; Detectives Mac Gordon, Tim Fields and Jeff Spong, and Stephanie Coleman of the Sex Offender Unit; and Detective Trent Bergmann of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Eric Griswold and John Otterson of Information Technology receive the Innovation Award. The Inspirational Award winners are Southwest Precinct Officer Marie Gochnour, North Precinct Officer Scott McGlashan; and South Precinct Burglary and Theft Detective Nick Bauer.

The Excellence Award winners also include Sergeant Tom Doran of Auto Theft Unit;John Fowler of Office of Professional Accountability; Officer Don Gallagher of Evidence Unit; East Precinct Officer Joel Guay; Training Officer Garry Jackson; Officer Fred Jordan and Bob McCoy in the Audit, Accreditation and Policy Unit;Officer Bob Peth and Bonnie King of Narcotics; Tawnya Lord of Mounted; Detective Randy Moore, a member of the U.S. Marshall’s Pacific Northwest Fugitive Task Force; Erin Pickering of the Records Unit; Parking Enforcement Officer Ming Steinmetz; and Darin Virakpanyou in Fiscal.

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