Police Heroes Honored at Irish American Police Officers Association s 18th Annual Awards Dinner

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Police Heroes Honored at Irish American Police Officers Association s 18th Annual Awards Dinner"

Felicia Dean
5 years ago
Views:

1 Police Heroes Honored at Irish American Police Officers Association s 18th Annual Awards Dinner FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Irish American Police Officers Association of Massachusetts 3 Brighton St. Belmont, MA Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Contact: John Guilfoil Phone: john@jgpr.net Irish American Police Officers Association Hosts 18th Annual Awards Dinner CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT. MALDEN The Irish American Police Officers Association (IAPOA) is pleased to announce that it hosted its 18th annual awards dinner, where it recognized over two dozen police officers for their bravery, humanitarianism and sacrifice on behalf of the communities they serve.

2 The Irish American Police Officers Association Pipes and Drums Band. (Courtesy Photo) The Irish American Police Officers Association Pipes and Drums Band. (Courtesy Photo) The Irish American Police Officers Association Pipes and Drums Band. (Courtesy Photo) Guest emcee Juli McDonald from WBZ-TV (Courtesy Photo) The family of late Hillsborough County Florida Sheriff s

Deputy John Robert Kotfila, Jr. (Courtesy Photo) The family of late Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas L.

(Courtesy Photo) The family of late Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. accepted his Medal of Honor.

throughout Massachusetts, as well as a chance to recognize officers with Massachusetts roots who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving communities elsewhere.

3 Deputy John Robert Kotfila, Jr. (Courtesy Photo) The family of late Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas L. Clardy accepted his Medal of Honor (Courtesy Photo) The parents of late Prince Georges County, Virginia, Police Officer Ashley Marie Guindon accepts her Medal of Honor. (Courtesy Photo) The family of late Auburn Police Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. accepted his Medal of Honor. (Courtesy Photo) The sold-out ceremony on Saturday, May 6, served as a celebration of police officers who risk their lives every day to serve and protect communities throughout Massachusetts, as well as a chance to recognize officers with Massachusetts roots who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving communities elsewhere. More than 300 people attended. Our awards night is our signature event, and we are proud to honor these courageous and dedicated officers for their selfless commitment to service,, said IAPOA President Robert Sweetland. Irish American police officers are some of the proudest and most patriotic Americans in the nation, and we

4 have left an indelible mark on the policing profession while honoring our heritage. Officers were recognized for a broad range of work that went above and beyond the call of duty; including their lifesaving efforts under harrowing circumstances, their efforts to find innovative approaches to the nationwide fight against opioid addiction and their sacrifice in the line of duty and their determination to bring dangerous criminals to justice. At the end of the evening the IAPOA awarded its Medal of Honor posthumously to four officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty in 2016: Deputy Sheriff John Robert Kotfila Jr. Hillsborough County, Florida Sheriff s Department Deputy Kotfila, 30, a Falmouth native and son of a Massachusetts State Trooper, was patrolling a Florida highway, driving behind a civilian last March when he noticed a driver going the wrong way. In order to protect the two people travelling in front of him, Deputy Kotfila cut in front of the vehicle and crashed head-on into the wrong-way driver in order to protect others on the road at the expense of his own life. Officer Ashley Marie Guindon Prince William County, Virginia, Police Department Officer Guindon, a 28-year-old native of Western Massachusetts and a veteran of the Marine Corps Reserve, lost her life on her first day on the job with the Prince William County Police Department. She responded to a domestic disturbance call and was shot, along with two other officers, by a suspect wielding a rifle upon arriving at the home. Trooper Thomas L. Clardy Massachusetts State Police Trooper Clardy, 44, had started his patrol shift early last March 16 and, while stopped behind a vehicle he had pulled

5 over, was hit from behind by a driver who had been travelling at a high rate of speed on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Ronald Tarentino Jr. Auburn Police Department Officer Tarentino, 42, achieved his lifelong dream of following his father into law enforcement and had served seven years as an officer in Leicester before moving to the Auburn Police. He had stopped a driver and, as he sat in his cruiser during the stop, was ambushed by the man he d stopped and ultimately succumbed to injuries from the gunshot wound he suffered. The IAPOA also awarded its Order of Erin Award to retired Woburn Police Detective Charles Chuck Carroll in recognition of his years of dedication to the IAPOA, his years of service in Woburn, his love of his Irish heritage and his family. Carroll was remembered as having an unmatched reputation in law enforcement, due in part to his commitment to his work. He also was instrumental in helping the IAPOA become the organization it is today, through his service as a Vice President and on its Executive Board. The other officers honored for their service by the IAPOA include: Quincy Police Lt. Patrick Glynn Humanitarian Award Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Wilson Humanitarian Award Lincoln Police Sgt. Anthony Moran Investigative Award Quincy Police Det. Arthur J. Carthas and Officer William Lanergan Investigative Award Worcester County State Police Detective Unit Det. Lt. Alan Hunte and Auburn Police Det. Sgt. Richard Mills Investigative Award Boston University Police Officers Robert McCarthy, Danielle Collins and Ciaran D Arcy Lifesaving Award Chelsea Police Officer David Delaney Lifesaving Award

6 Quincy Police Officer Steven Cleary Lifesaving Award MIT Sgt. Robert Wilcox and Officers Anthony Rosanio, Kenneth Spooner, Belinda Barrett and Yessenia Gomez Lifesaving Award Everett Police Officer Joseph Pepicelli Meritorious Service Award Boston Police Youth Violence Strike Force Officers James O Laughlin, Edward P. Dervan, Brendan Kelly and Antoine Ramos Meritorious Service Award Quincy Police Officer Jeffrey Bossart Meritorious Service Award Plymouth County Sheriff s Lt. James Creed Medal of Valor Lynn Police Officers Michael McEachern, John Bernard, Joshua Seaman Medal of Valor Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Michael Baker and Troopers Albert J. Kardoos and Scott McDonald Medal of Valor Boston Police Officers Matthew Morris, Richard Cintolo, Eric Schmidt, Lenin Ortiz, Clifton Singletary, Joseph McSorley, Joseph Greco and Sgt. Norberto Perez Medal of Valor The IAPOA also honored two civilians with its inaugural Sean A. Collier Civilian Support Award. One of the honors went to Dr. David R. King of Massachusetts General Hospital for his repeated efforts to provide life-saving aid to law enforcement officers. The other went to philanthropist and longtime police supporter David Mugar for his support of police through his work organizing the annual July 4 fireworks on the Boston Esplanade, including his help in organizing and supporting the Unified Command Center available for the event. The work of both of these extraordinary men helps us do our jobs better,, Sweetland said. We are truly grateful for their constant support of law enforcement, and their dedication truly embodies the spirit of Officer Sean Collier.

7 The awards dinner, which was held at the Malden Irish American Club, was emceed by WBZ-TV s Juli McDonald and also featured performances from the Deirdre Goulding School of Irish Dance and the IAPOA Pipes and Drums Band. For more information on the Irish American Police Officers Association, visit or irishamericanpolice@yahoo.com or President Bob Sweetland at Rsweetland@quincyma.gov. ### Auburn Firefighter Graduates from State Firefighting Academy For Immediate Release Auburn Fire Department Stephen M. Coleman Jr., Fire Chief 47 Auburn St. Auburn, MA Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 Contact: John Guilfoil Phone: john@jgpr.net

8 Auburn Firefighter Graduates from State Firefighting Academy AUBURN Fire Chief Stephen M. Coleman Jr. is pleased to announce that firefighter Richard Nicholson graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Friday afternoon. Nicholson is one of 24 graduates from the 238th class of the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy s 45-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. A ceremony was held at the Department of Fire Services in Stow today at 1:30 p.m. The 44-year-old Leicester resident grew up in Auburn and is a certified EMT. He has been a call firefighter with the Auburn Fire Department since 2007 and became a full-time member in August Firefighter Nicholson is extremely hardworking and has always been dedicated to protecting this community, Chief Coleman said. I have had the pleasure of watching him develop his skills as a firefighter and we are so proud of him for completing this rigorous training. The intensive nine-week state firefighting academy for municipal firefighters involves classroom instruction, physical fitness training, skills training and live firefighting practice. Firefighters learned the basic skills they need to respond to fires including how to contain and control them, public fire education, hazardous material incident mitigation, flammable liquids, stress management, confined space rescue techniques and rappelling. To graduate, firefighters were required to demonstrate

9 proficiency in life safety, search and rescue, ladder operations, water supply, pump operation and fire attack (ranging from mailbox fires to multiple-floor or multi-room structural fires). This rigorous professional training provides our newest firefighters with the basic skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely, said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan in a statement. The remaining 23 graduates, all men, represent the 11 fire departments of: Bedford, Bridgewater, Fairhaven, Maynard, Peabody, Revere, Scituate, Somerville, Tewksbury, Walpole, and Watertown. ### Chelmsford Police Charge Alleged Rapist Chelmsford Police Department James M. Spinney, Chief of Police 2 Olde North Road Chelmsford, MA For Immediate Release Monday, Jan. 12, 2015 Contact: John Guilfoil Phone: john@jgpr.net

10 Chelmsford Police Charge Alleged Rapist Suspect Broke into Victim s Home on Sunday Suspect and Victim Known to Each Other New Hampshire State Police Locate Suspect in Woods in Auburn, N.H. CHELMSFORD Police Chief James M. Spinney reports that the Chelmsford Police Department charged a Taunton man with rape after he allegedly broke into the home of a person he knew and sexually assaulted that person. The suspect fled to New Hampshire, where State Police there tracked his vehicle to Auburn, N.H. and found the suspect in a wooded area. As a result of the investigation, TIMOTHY TUCKER, AGE 33, OF TAUNTON has been charged with: Armed Burglary Aggravated Rape Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon (Knife) Intimidation of a Witness (Took victim s phone in attempt to prevent victim from calling police) The incident took place early Sunday morning, at about 1 a.m. TUCKER allegedly broke into the victim s apartment in

11 Chelmsford and waited for the victim to come home. The suspect attacked the victim when they returned home and threatened them with a knife while he sexually assaulted the victim. TUCKER then allegedly fled the victim s apartment. Chelmsford Police Investigators learned that he may be in the Manchester, N.H. area and alerted New Hampshire State Police. New Hampshire State Police located TUCKER S vehicle in Auburn and were able to locate him in the woods, placing him under arrest. Chief Spinney sends his sincere thanks to the New Hampshire State Police. A positive working relationship with our neighbors to the north helped take a dangerous felon off the streets today, Chief Spinney said. This is a deeply disturbing crime, but we are thankful that the suspect was captured quickly and was unable to evade justice for his alleged actions. ###

Santa Barbara County Sheriff s Office

Santa Barbara County Sheriff s Office Kelly Hoover Date: 4/29/2015 Public Information Officer Time: 7:30 p.m. (805) 681-4192 News Release Public Safety Responders to the Isla Vista Mass Murders Recognized