HONORABLE SERVICE MEDAL

On July 8, 2020, there was a subject in custody for Domestic Violence, resisting arrest, and threatening officers with a handgun.  This offender was placed in the Department’s cells for later transport to the Union County Jail.

Officer Joel Lopez was working his first day as a Springfield Police Officer and was at the desk area with Sergeant Melissa Esteves who was handling calls coming in.

Officer Lopez was diligent in his duties and was monitoring the subject in the cell through the camera system when he noticed that the subject was attempting to hang himself using his shirt.

Sergeant Esteves and Officer Lopez rushed to the cell and had to utilize a knife to cut the subject free, preventing a potentially disastrous outcome.

The actions of Sergeant Esteves and Officer Lopez are a credit to not only themselves, but to the Department and the Township and they are deserving of this Honorable Service Medal.

HONORABLE SERVICE MEDAL

On November 6, 2019, a Morris Avenue business reported that a shoplifting was
in progress with the suspect just then fleeing the store. Responding officers had
gathered information and relayed this to officers in the field who were attempting
to locate the offender.
The subject was last seen in an area near office buildings but had then eluded
officers by running into a building and secreting himself somewhere within.
Officers had set up a perimeter and had begun to do a floor by floor, room by
room search but were unable to locate the subject.
Investigator John Patrick was able to finally locate the subject in a bathroom stall
standing atop the toilet attempting to avoid detection.
Excellent communications between all officers led to the offender not being able
to flee the area resulting in him running into a building as a last resort to avoid
arrest.
Investigator Patrick’s determination in continuing on the search, after all rooms
were already checked and finally locating the subject, led to an arrest without any
injuries to anyone.
His actions are a credit to not only himself, but to the Department and the
Township and they are deserving of this Honorable Service Medal.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

On June 22, 2019, Officers Adam Parra and Greg Weinstock were detailed to a
dining establishment on Route 22 on report of a male subject who had assaulted
his wife and was attacking an employee with a baseball bat.
Upon the officers arrival they were able to intervene on the assault and during
the beginning of the investigation the attacker ran off across a heavily trafficked
Route 22 and into a wooded area in an attempt to escape the officers.
Without knowing if the subject had any other weapons, the officers pursued the
subject across the highway and into the wooded area, locating him and placing
him under arrest.
The actions of Officers Parra and Weinstock, without regard for their own safety,
are a credit to not only themselves, but to the Department and the Township and
they are deserving of this Meritorious Service Medal.

 

MEDAL OF HONOR

On July 8, 2020, Corporal Marc McBratney and Officers Luis Brito and Frank Cunha
were detailed to a residence on report of a Domestic Violence incident in
progress.
Upon their arrival they encountered a male subject who had barricaded himself
inside of the home and refused to come out after several verbal requests from
the officers to do so.
After several minutes the subject exited a rear door and began walking towards
the officers. The male then lifted his shirt and displayed that he had a black
handgun in the waistband of his shorts.
He then began to yell at the officers several times to shoot him. The subject then
reached for the handgun and began to remove it from his waistband and the
officers began to draw their weapons. Upon seeing the officers’ actions, the
subject threw the weapon on the ground in front of himself.
The subject then attempted to flee from the officers and Corporal McBratney was
able to get a hold of him leading to a physical altercation as he resisted arrest
during which officers were injured.
The subject was subdued and placed into custody.
The handgun was later identified as a pellet gun which was an identical replica of
a S&W automatic handgun.
The actions of Corporal McBratney and Officers Brito and Cunha, in displaying
great composure and professionalism when faced with a believed to be life or
death circumstance of an offender drawing a handgun towards officers, is an
extreme credit to not only themselves, but to the Department and the Township
and they are certainly deserving of this Medal of Honor.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

On March 3, 2020, Officers John Laurencelle and Jaqueline Alves were detailed to
a residence on report of a suicidal male. This was reported by a security company
worker whom the subject had called and stated to them that he would kill every
officer in the area and then kill himself.
Once Officers Laurencelle and Alves were on scene, they took a tactical approach
with Officer Laurencelle bringing along a patrol rifle as it was unknown of any
weapons that the subject may have had.
The officers made contact with the subject and were able to secure him in
handcuffs. The individual was found to not be in possession of any weapons. The
officers spoke with the subject who then voluntarily asked to be transported to
the hospital for an evaluation.
Officer Laurencelle had taken command of the situation and kept HQ updated on
the situation via calm and clear radio transmissions.
The teamwork of Officers Laurencelle and Alves enabled them to make entry into
the residence and secure the individual safely with no injury to the subject or
themselves. Their actions are a credit to not only themselves, but to the
Department and the Township and they are deserving of this Meritorious Service
Medal.

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

On January 22, 2020, Officers Luis Brito, Joseph Loria, and Michelle DiParisi were
detailed to the area of General Greene Apartments on report of an irate male
punching vehicles.
Upon arrival the officers discovered that the subject resided in an apartment in
the area and was back inside of his residence. Sergeant Melissa Esteves also
arrived on scene.
The male barricaded himself inside of his bedroom and threatened to release his
pitbull on the officers.
The sergeant and officers made several verbal attempts to get the subject to exit
the room without success.
The subject then went out of the bedroom window in an attempt to flee and was
met by Officer DiParisi who had gone outside to maintain the perimeter.
The male began to walk towards Officer DiParisi with his hands in his pockets
refusing to comply with the officer’s commands to remove them and to get on
the ground.
The subject then ran off in the opposite direction at which time Officer Brito was
able to take him to the ground. The male began to resist violently and Sergeant
Esteves, Officer Loria and Officer DiParisi had to assist in getting the subject under
control enough to secure him in handcuffs.
All four officers and the subject received minor injuries.
The teamwork and disregard for their own safety of Sergeant Esteves and Officers
Brito, Loria, and DiParisi enabled them to successfully capture and arrest a very
aggressive and non-compliant fleeing subject, keeping him from the general
public.
Their actions are a credit to not only themselves, but to the Department and the
Township and they are deserving of this Meritorious Service Medal.

 

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

On November 17, 2020, Investigator Luis Brito had responded to a Route 22
business for a follow up investigation. While there he witnessed a shoplifting
taking place.
As Investigator Brito approached the subject in the parking lot, he identified
himself as a police officer and the subject began to enter his vehicle in an attempt
to flee from Investigator Brito.
As Investigator Brito was attempting to stop the individual from fleeing, the
subject was able to put the vehicle in drive and took off, dragging Investigator
Brito along until he was finally able to get free. The vehicle struck Investigator
Brito as it pulled onto Route 22.
Investigator Brito was able to put out a description of the vehicle to patrol units in
the area and Officer Jose Agrelo spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it. The
subject eluded officers and continued onto Route 22 East and then the GSP North.
Investigator Brito had joined in on the pursuit which headed into Newark.
Officer Brian Trotman had responded to the area of the pursuit as well. The
subject had stopped the vehicle and took off on foot into a residential area with
all three officers in foot pursuit.
They were able to locate and take the offender into custody without further
incident.
The teamwork of Investigator Brito and Officers Agrelo and Trotman enabled
them to successfully locate and arrest the subject without any further injury to
themselves, the subject, or the general public. Their actions are a credit to not
only themselves, but to the Department and the Township and they are deserving
of this Meritorious Service Medal.

 

LIFE SAVING MEDAL

On March 13, 2020, Officers Matt Schmidt and Brian Trotman were detailed to
150 Morris Avenue on report of an adult male who had collapsed in the parking
lot at this location.
Upon arrival both Officers Schmidt and Trotman began CPR and applied the AED
to the unresponsive victim.
Their actions resulted in the victim regaining a pulse and ultimately surviving.
The actions of Officers Schmidt and Trotman are a credit to not only themselves,
but to the Department and the Township and they are deserving of this Life
Saving Medal.

 

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

On March 29, 2019, Corporal Danielle Kahora and Officer Robert Quinlan were
detailed to a residence on report of a juvenile male who was holding a knife to his
father’s head.
Upon the officers arrival the juvenile was standing in the kitchen holding a large
butcher’s knife. The officers were able to get the father removed from the area.
The juvenile had strategically placed himself in a way that prevented the officers
from being able to safely disarm him.
Corporal Kahora and Officer Quinlan both took turns speaking with the juvenile,
de-escalating the situation. Sergeant Melissa Esteves had then arrived on scene
and all three officers continued to interact with the juvenile, keeping the subject
calm in a potentially volatile situation.
After a lengthy period of time, Officer Quinlan was able to convince the juvenile
to surrender the knife.
The actions and teamwork of Sergeant Esteves, Corporal Kahora, and Officer
Quinlan in de-escalating this situation in which no one was injured is a credit to
not only themselves, but to the Department and the Township and they are
deserving of this Meritorious Service Medal.

 

LIFE SAVING MEDAL

On January 20, 2021, Officer Matt Nolan was detailed to a medical aid call at a
Route 22 business.
Upon his arrival he located a female victim who had suffered a life threatening
wound to her leg. Co-workers had used a belt in an attempt to stop the bleeding
but this was not sufficient and the victim continued to lose a great amount of
blood.
Officer Nolan realized the seriousness of this injury and immediately utilized his
training to apply a tourniquet on the victim which allowed him to control the
bleeding thereby saving the victim from any further loss of blood which resulted
in the victim surviving this injury.
Officer Nolan’s actions are a credit to not only himself, but to the Department and
the Township and he is deserving of this Life Saving Medal.