Below is a listing of awards given by Manchester Police Chief David Mara on behalf of the Manchester Police Department to various members of the department on September 22, 2014. Several of the awards are refer to specific incidents handled by the department, which headline the award given
Stabbing Incident @ Black Acres – February 2, 2014
Honorable Service Medal
| Officer Daniel Wood | Officer Jacob Tyer & K9 Bud |
Certificate of Recognition
| Sgt. Allen Aldenberg | Off. Derek Feather | Off. Justin Mangum | |
| Sgt. Shawn McCabe | Off. Andrew Fleming | Off. Jonathan Makara | |
| Off. Adrianne Davenport | Off. David Golia | Off. Thomas Ouellette | |
| Off. Crysta Dietle | Off. Eric Joyal | Off. Neil Penttinen | |
On February 2, 2014, at approximately 11:15 p.m., several patrol units were dispatched to an area off Goffstown Road, known as Black Acres, for a report of shots fired. It was also reported that there may be several subjects in the woods armed with AR-15 rifle and other unknown weapons.
Officer Daniel Wood arrived in the area, and because the gate was locked, he entered on foot to begin searching for potential suspects or victims. He observed a vehicle approaching him and he drew his service weapon and ordered the driver to stop and the occupants to exit the vehicle. He heard yelling from the bed of the truck and encountered a male subject who advised that his friend had been stabbed in the chest. Officer Wood jumped into the truck bed where he assessed the dire condition of the victim and immediately called for Dispatch to send an ambulance. As the truck continued to Goffstown Road, Officer Wood had the victim’s friend apply pressure to the wound while Officer Wood administered CPR. Upon reaching the road, Officer Wood quickly retrieved his automatic external defibrillator from his cruiser and applied it to the victim’s body. At that point, EMTs arrived and Officer Wood assisted with the care of the victim.
The area involving the incident was vast and the exact location of the crime scene was unknown early on in the incident. Sergeants Alan Aldenberg and Shawn McCabe coordinated the efforts of ten on-scene officers to establish a perimeter with the intent of containing potential suspects. As a result of the teamwork, all involved parties were detained, the initial crime scene was located, and critical evidence was recovered, which ultimately allowed for a seamless transition of responsibilities from the Patrol Division to the Investigative Division.
After a perimeter was established and subjects had been detained, Officer Jacob Tyler and his K9 partner Bud entered the wooded area in an attempt to locate potential evidence. Through the use of his canine, Officer Tyler was successful in locating three pieces of evidence, including an AR-15 rifle hidden under a pile of old clothes located some distance from the worn path.
The Honorable Service Medal is awarded to Officer Daniel Wood. Though the stabbing victim succumbed to his injury, Officer Wood performed his duties in an exemplary manner.
The Honorable Service Medal is also awarded to Officer Jacob Tyler and K9 Bud. Working in partnership they were able to recover critical pieces of evidence which greatly assisted in the overall investigation.
Certificates of Recognition are awarded to Sergeants Allen Aldenberg and Shawn McCabe, and Officers Adrianne Davenport, Derek Feather, Andrew Fleming, David Golia, Eric Joyal, Jonathan Makara, Thomas Ouelette and Neil Penttinen for their outstanding performance of duty in a stressful and fluid situation.
Shooting Incident / Wilson Street – February 4, 2014
Honorable Service Medal
| Officer Daniel Wood | Officer David Golia | |
| Officer Patrick Mullen | ||
On February 4, 2014, a few minutes after midnight, officers were dispatched to 494 Wilson Street for a report of a gunshot.
Upon arrival at the address, Officers Daniel Wood and David Golia located a male subject, who had sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen, lying in the doorway. Officer Wood radioed for an ambulance, and then utilizing a gunshot wound trauma kit retrieved from a cruiser, the officers immediately began treating the victim.
Officer Patrick Mullen also arrived and retrieved the trauma kit from his cruiser. He then began assisting with treatment and maintained a dialogue with the victim to keep the man conscious and responsive.
The three officers continued treating the victim until the arrival of emergency medical technicians.
Honorable Service Medals are awarded to Officer Daniel Wood, Officer David Golia, and Officer Patrick Mullen for their quick and decisive actions.
Suicidal Subject – February 5, 2014
Life Saving Medal
| Officer Fred Gillis |
On February 5, 2014, at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to 221 Spruce Street for a report of a suicidal woman standing in front of the residence with a knife.
Upon arrival at the address, officers located the woman standing on the sidewalk. She was extremely agitated and held the knife to her throat numerous times while threatening to kill herself. She also yelled to the officers to shoot her and end her life. As the officers attempted to approach her, she grew more agitated and stated she would force them to shoot her if they moved closer.
Officer Fred Gillis established a dialogue with her during this volatile standoff and eventually convinced her to place the knife on the ground, at which point Officer Gillis moved in to secure the woman.
The Life Saving Medal is awarded to Officer Fred Gillis, who, through his prompt actions and with disregard for his personal safety, prevented a potentially tragic outcome.
West Side Convenience Store Robberies – February 7, 2014
Meritorious Service Medal
| Officer Tony Battistelli |
On February 7, 2014, between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., two robberies were committed at convenience stores on the west side. The description of the suspect was broadcast, as well as the information that the suspect had perpetrated the crimes with the threat of a firearm, though the weapon was not shown.
Officer Tony Battistelli anticipated that a third convenience store in area would be targeted for another robbery. He traveled to that store’s location, and upon arrival, he observed a male subject matching the suspect’s description enter the store. Officer Battistelli positioned himself so that he could see the suspect inside the store talking to the clerk. With his gun drawn, he prepared to enter the store to engage the suspect.
However, before he could make his entry, the suspect burst out the door and began to flee, refusing to obey commands to stop. Officer Battistelli engaged in a foot pursuit, during which he transitioned from his sidearm to his Taser. When he closed the distance between himself and the suspect, the officer deployed his Taser, ultimately bringing the suspect down.
The Meritorious Service Medal is awarded to Officer Tony Battistelli, who intelligently performed his duty while placing himself at potential risk in what could have been a deadly force encounter.
Suicidal Subject – May 5, 2014
Life Saving Medal
| Officer Joseph Ryan |
On May 5, 2014, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Officer Ryan was alerted by a motorist that a female subject was on the Bridge Street Bridge and appeared to be ready to jump.
Upon arrival, Officer Ryan observed the woman outside the railing seated on a six-inch wide portion of concrete footing. He quickly noted that should the woman in fact jump she would either impact the ground 60 feet below or plummet into the swiftly moving waters of the Merrimack River – either scenario having the potential of causing death.
Officer Ryan coordinated with Manchester Fire Department rescue to prepare for both contingencies. He then began a dialogue with the woman and maintained a 20-minute conversation during which she expressed her intent to jump and end her life, due to a depressed state and a failure to maintain her medication cycle.
As the conversation progressed, Officer Ryan successfully overcame the self-destructive intent of this individual and assisted her in returning to the safety of the roadway side of the bridge railing. She was subsequently transported to a hospital to be evaluated for mental health concerns.
The Life Saving Medal is awarded to Officer Joe Ryan, who, through his prompt actions and verbal skills defused a situation that could have ended tragically.
Off-duty Arrest / Armed robbery – May 14, 2014
Honorable Service Medal
| Officer Michael Buckley |
On May 14, 2014, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Officer Buckley was off duty and parked in his personal vehicle on Kelley Street preparing to enter Bob’s Coin Shop. He observed a male subject enter the store wearing a white respirator mask, sunglasses, and baseball hat. Officer Buckley entered the store to check on the clerk and to keep an eye on the suspicious looking subject. This subject then made a statement to the clerk and Officer Buckley to not be worried about the mask because he was wearing it due to allergies.
Officer Buckley concluded a transaction with the clerk and exited the store. Due to the oddity of the masked subject, Officer Buckley retrieved his duty firearm. As he was calling into MPD Dispatch for assistance, the masked man exited the store and began quickly walking away. The store clerk then exited the store, pointed to Officer Buckley and then at then at the masked subject.
Officer Buckley exited his vehicle and began approaching the subject. The man complied with Officer Buckley’s command to stop and show his hands. The store clerk advised Officer Buckley that the subject had pulled a knife and tried to rob her. Other patrol officers soon arrived and took the subject into custody.
The arrested subject was later identified as the potential suspect in a bomb threat phoned into West High School earlier in the day. The suspect subsequently confessed to both the attempt at robbing the store and the bomb threat call to the school. The bomb threat was to be a diversionary tactic which he had hoped would allow him to rob the store while emergency services were engaged at the school.
Officer Buckley’s quick thinking and willingness to act while off duty resulted in foiling a robbery and identifying the bomb threat suspect. Though Officer Buckley did retrieve his firearm, he did not have his ballistic vest, and thus put his own safety at risk in confronting the subject.
The Honorable Service Medal is awarded to Officer Michael Buckley, who, through his prompt actions demonstrated initiative and competence in the line of duty.
Arrest of Credit Union Robbery Suspects – May 30, 2014
Honorable Service Medal
| Officer Jonathan Duchesne |
On May 30, 2014, at approximately 4:05 p.m., dispatch sent units to the North East Credit Union for a report of a robbery. A male subject had entered the credit union and demanded cash. During the robbery, the suspect threatened that he had a weapon, though none was visible. Witnesses at the scene observed the suspect get into a vehicle driven by a female. The vehicle and suspects’ descriptors were radioed to all units.
A short time later, Officer Duchesne spotted the suspect vehicle being driven by a female matching the suspect description. Officer Duchesne initiated a motor vehicle stop and interviewed the driver, who advised she had picked up two male subjects at a Wilson Street address and transported them to the credit union. Officers responded to the address and located the two subjects, one of which was identified as the person who robbed the credit union.
The Honorable Service Medal is awarded to Officer Jonathan Duchesne, who, through his intelligent actions in identifying the suspect vehicle and initiating a motor vehicle stop, obtained crucial information that led to a quick arrest of the robbery suspect.
Attempted Suicide – July 9, 2014
Life Saving Medal
| Officer Robert Megowen |
Just after midnight on July 9, 2014, Officer Robert Megowen responded to a call reference a possible suicide. Dispatch advised that a male subject had been found hanging by his neck in a shower and that he was unresponsive.
Upon arrival at the scene, Officer Megowen immediately began CPR on the victim while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical services. The EMTs took over for Officer Megowen once they arrived and after working on the victim for a few minutes they were able to detect a slight pulse. The victim was therefore transported to a hospital where doctors later advised that he began to move and breathe on his own. An EMT told other officers on the scene that Officer Megowen’s immediate actions in performing CPR were a direct factor in saving the victim’s life. According to this EMT, those few minutes in which Officer Megowen performed CPR prior to EMT arrival made the difference and helped them get the victim’s pulse back.
The Life Saving Medal is awarded to Officer Robert Megowen, who, through his prompt and intelligent actions, prevented a tragic outcome.
Warrant Impact Team – 2014
Team Citation
| Lt. Michael Begley | ||
| Sgt. Brandon Murphy |
Certificate of Recognition
| Off. Michael Buckley | Off. Christian Horn |
| Off. Thomas Dubois | Off. Din Jenkins |
| Off. Casey Finn | Off. Eric Joyal |
| Off. Benjamin Foster | Off. Eric Knight |
In March 2014, the Warrant Impact Team was formed to go after individuals with high-risk warrants; the subjects were considered dangerous or habitual criminals.
Lt Begley and Sgt Murphy researched similar units and adapted best practices to put together MPD’s team. Lt. Begley and Sgt. Murphy then instructed the officers chosen for the team, and oversaw the planning and research that made the team successful.
Officers chosen for this assignment were considered self-starters and leaders on their shifts, each bringing specific experience and knowledge to the team effort. They researched all targets, gathering intelligence and preparing folders on each wanted subject. The officers assigned to the team were extremely dedicated and highly motivated, some working on their own time compiling information on each target.
They used new methods, such a social media, to track their targets. Officers also developed confidential informants that provided information on the location of targets. The team incorporated resources from the U.S. Marshals Service and Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office to help track down offenders.
The team’s efforts over a four-month period resulted in 107 dangerous subjects being taken off the streets.
A Certificate of Recognition is presented to the Warrant Impact Team as a whole, however I would like to recognize individually the time and effort of Lt. Michael Begley, Sgt. Brandon Murphy, and Officers Mike Buckley, Tom Dubois, Casey Finn, Ben Foster, Christian Horn, Din Jenkins, Eric Joyal, and Eric Knight.
