We’ve spent a good amount of time lately honoring the heroes of our community after the Henry Pratt shooting in February. But a recent ceremony recognizing the Aurora Police Department’s Officers of the Month for the previous year made it apparent there are many different ways these cops put their lives on the line … and many different ways they work to keep us safe.
Some of what they do, of course, involves a true warrior mentality. That was never more apparent than that horrific day on Feb. 15 when five Henry Pratt employees were fatally shot and five officers wounded as they ran into a building terrorized by a single gunman.
And indeed, two Special Operations Group investigators were this month honored as Officers of the Year for this same brand of bravery in a March 2018 deadly gun battle in downtown Aurora that resulted in Officer Colin Griffin being shot and Officer Matthew Huber injured and the death of the offender, who had been charged just days earlier with several felony weapons offenses, police said.
The gunfire occurred after a traffic stop and continued after the man crashed his car and ran away, police said. Despite being in considerable pain from their injuries, Huber and Griffin continued to not only pursue the man but also coordinate vital communication with responding officers who were bringing assistance and aid, according to the APD.
Others at this ceremony were honored as Officers of the Month for keeping our community safer, not with guns or guts but with technology and tenacity … like Officer Dominic Tamberelli, who helped crack an aggravated robbery case.
Or Investigator David Brian, who was sitting at his desk working on an unrelated call when he responded to a convenience store robbery by immediately logging into the red light camera system that located a single vehicle leaving an adjacent parking lot at the time of the crime.
Turns out the evidence against this suspect pointed to his involvement in a series of armed robberies, not just in Aurora but North Aurora, Batavia and Naperville. According to the APD, Brian’s work on this crime spree, which included many hours outside his assigned shift, eventually helped obtain a confession from the suspect.
Good old-fashion police work also saves lives, as was the case with Officer Joseph Salinas, who was honored for his efforts in relentlessly pursing the whereabouts of a suspect in a domestic battery case against a woman eight months pregnant that eventually resulted in a conviction.
Many officers were honored for actions that did not involve bad guys but still put the cops in harm’s way. That included Officers Ryszard Drozdowski and Bradley Vonhoff, who jumped into a retention pond on Bilter Road to rescue a driver whose car had just gone into the water.
And James Zegar — yes, one of the five officers wounded in the Pratt shooting — risked his life in 2018 when the subject of a random welfare check was threatening to harm not only himself but also responding officers, police said.
Even though the man refused to talk to any cops, Zegar gained his trust enough to speak to him from the porch of his house. The man later ordered all officers away, threatening to shoot them, according to police. He then wanted “10 minutes alone” in the house with Zegar, who feared he’d stab himself and burn the house down, according to the APD.
Zegar was able to restrain the man when he turned to shut the door, but the two tumbled to the ground before other officers helped secure the man. Later, multiple knives were found on this troubled individual as well as two rifles inside the home, police said. But the good news is, the man was safely taken to a hospital to get help.
It’s that softer, more compassionate, side of police work that also earned Doug Rashkow high accolades. The Aurora liaison officer for the Crisis Intervention Team was working in another part of the city when he responded to a volatile situation with a man who was bipolar, schizophrenic and prone to violence. By using the techniques he teaches to his colleagues Rashkow built enough trust in the man to de-escalate the situation and get him safely transported to the hospital.
Officers Wesley Boyer, Aaron Spooner and Irene Carollo received awards for their efforts in talking down a man who was hanging over the ledge of a three-story building and about to jump, police said.
While Carollo kept the man’s attention, her two fellow officers used a ladder box to get to the roof, approach him from behind and, with considerable effort, pull him to safety.
That same teamwork, determination and strength were also called for when Officers Adam Miller — he too was wounded in the Pratt shooting — and Peter Briddell responded to a critical situation with a female who was hanging from the side of High Street Bridge and kicking and screaming in protest against those trying to save her, according to police.
In fact, when the officers arrived, her family was losing their grip on the woman, according to the APD. But Miller and Briddell coordinated their efforts and physically lifted her from below the walkway of the bridge and over the side rail, where they were able to physically restrain her until she was transported to the hospital.
I don’t know how old this female was, but when youngsters are involved, these police stories become especially compelling.
Officer Diego Avila, the first on the scene after a child was pulled from the water, began performing CPR until paramedics arrived. And despite this highly stressful situation, he stayed on to assist with the investigation and facilitation of the little child’s hospital transport. According to APD, although the road ahead was uncertain for this child, the fact he has a fighting chance was a “direct result” of Avila’s efforts.
Officers Ryan Murphy and Arturo Montemayor also saved young lives when they quickly devised a plan to evacuate six residents, including an infant and juvenile, inside a rapidly burning Aurora home that had only one entrance.
Murphy found the residents and escorted them out of the home, while Montemayor used the fire extinguisher, saving some of the home’s contents so Murphy, who went back into the fiery home a final time to ensure no one else remained, could safely exit.
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No occupants were injured, however Murphy sustained smoke inhalation and was treated at Rush Copley Medical Center.
And finally, Investigator Christine Tunney was also honored for saving innocent children … from their own father.
Tunney was able to help put this sexual predator away for life not only because of her ability to get the victims to open up about the abuse that had been going on for years, but by aggressively compiling evidence to verify their stories, and then not taking no for an answer when she was told there was no funding available to go after the offender who had moved to Tennessee.
Because this predator was waiting for his family, including his young victims, to join him there, Tunney convinced the state’s attorney’s office — after repeated attempts — to split the cost of travel.
And yes, she did manage to get a detailed confession from the father, who turned down a plea deal of 20 years to stand trial, police said.
More good news: The creep was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, which means his chances of victimizing more innocent children just went down to a big fat zero.
Pretty impressive stuff, right? Yet it’s all in a year’s work for Aurora’s men and women in blue who not only deserve our congratulations but also our heartfelt thanks.