Morris County 200 Club Honors 30 First-Responders with Valor, Meritorious Awards

Award Winners Include 5 Police Officers Who Avoided Using Deadly Force in 3 Situations; Others Cited for Work at Fires
By: 200 Club of Morris County
 
MORRISTOWN, N.J. - March 17, 2015 - PRLog -- As the nation debates the use of deadly force by police, five officers are being honored for resolving dangerous situations without opening fire in incidents in Morris County.

The five officers are among 30 first responders being honored by the 200 Club of Morris County at its Valor and Meritorious Awards Dinner April 30 at Birchwood Manor, Whippany. The other first-responders are being honored for their work at two fires in Roxbury.Two civilians also are being cited.

The winners are being honored for heroic action at incidents in Morris County during 2014. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians who put their lives at risk earn the Valor Award. Those whose work was above and beyond are awarded the Meritorious Service Award.

Three local police officers, one state trooper and one retired officer found themselves in deadly confrontations in separate incidents. Although their lives were threatened, they were able to resolve the situation without resorting to deadly force. Honored in those incidents are:

·         Kinnelon Patrolman Douglas Shortway. Shortway pursued a 26-year-old suicidal man into the woods. The man was carrying a razor knife.  Shortway found him behind a tree, still holding the knife. He ordered the man to drop the knife, but the man refused and began approaching the officer with the knife, stating that he wanted to die. Shortway drew his firearm to protect himself, but continued to talk to the man and eventually convinced him that suicide wasn’t the answer. The man turned out to be a U.S. Marine suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Taken into custody without harm, the man received treatment for a drug overdose and for his PTSD and has since made a full recovery. Shortway is being awarded the Meritorious Service Award.

·         Chatham Borough Police Officers Jeffrey Battiloro and Matthew Belcastro, and retired New York City Police Officer Brian Hart. Battiloro and Belcastro were hurt trying to subdue a suspect who attempted to cash a fraudulent bank withdrawal slip. Battiloro arrived at the bank first and challenged the suspect inside the bank. The suspect attacked Battiloro. The two struggled, falling over furniture and displays. Battiloro was struck repeatedly in the chest as he tried to hang on to the suspect. With Battiloro suffering from chest, leg, back, hip and shoulder injuries from the fight, the suspect was able to break free. Belcastro arrived just as the suspect broke Battiloro’s grip. Belcastro took up the pursuit, at one point grabbing the suspect. They fell to the street and Belcastro struck his shoulder, breaking his collar bone. Nevertheless, he got up and continued the pursuit, cornering the suspect. Belcastro drew his weapon, but the suspect charged at him. Despite his injuries, Belcastro was able to secure his weapon and wrestle the man to the ground. Hart, a Chatham resident, saw the scuffle and assisted Belcastro as he handcuffed the suspect. The two injured officers will receive the Award of Valor and Hart will receive the Meritorious Service Award.

·         State Trooper James Hamill. While helping Montville Police search for a man who fled from a motor vehicle stop, Hamill spotted a man fitting the suspect’s description. Hamill had already been warned that the man was armed with a large knife. Hamill turned on his overhead lights and a spotlight, got out of his car and ordered the man to stop.  Hamill continued to call the man, who eventually turned to face Hamill. The knife was visible in the suspect’s left front pocket. As Hamill continued to order the man to get down on the ground, the suspect refused to comply and reached for the knife. Hamill drew his weapon. Again, he ordered the man to raise his hands and drop to the ground. Again, the man refused. Hamill noticed the man was distracted by passing traffic. He tackled the suspect when he was looking at the traffic and brought him to the ground. Although the suspect continued to resist, the trooper eventually was able to subdue and handcuff the suspect. For his efforts, Hamill is receiving an Award of Valor. Hamill also received the Valor Award in 2012 for extricating a driver from a submerged car in the Whippany River.

   Two house fires in Roxbury, just days apart, led to the remaining awards.

    On Jan. 23, Roxbury firefighters responding to a fire were told there could be a victim on the second floor. Firefighters Richard Bizzari and Keith Journey entered the burning house to search for the occupant and found him face down on the second floor. Other firefighters moved in to assure that Bizzari, Journey and the victim could get out. Once outside, a team of firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics went to work on the victim, who had been facedown, inhaling deadly fire gasses and was now barely breathing. Because of the team’s efforts, the man has made a full recovery.For their efforts, Bizzari and Journey are being awarded the Award of Valor. Other members of the team who are receiving the Meritorious Service Award include:

·         Lt. Pam Karkovice and Dawn Ward, Roxbury Fire Department’s EMS Unit.;

·         Saint Clare’s Paramedics Greg Doltz and Christopher Kannaley;

·         Alan Bookspan and Jennifer Johnson, Stanhope-Netcong American Legion Ambulance Corps;

·         These firefighters from the Roxbury Fire Department: Michael Blewett, Carl Bonafede, Nate Grawher, Matthew Jasiecki, Kelsie Karkovice, Bill Koroski, Amanda Montrose, David Ward Sr.; Tyler Blewett, Brian Foote, Kirk Keyes, Gerogry Montose and Thomas Ryan.

   Just four days later, four Roxbury police officers were first on the scene at another house fire after being alerted by passerby Alexis May. May, a civilian, stopped her car after reporting the fire and went to the home to try to get people out. She informed the dispatcher that there were several cars in the driveway and a wheelchair ramp. When police arrived, Ms. May told them that she had alerted a man in the house and he had gone back in to get his handicapped wife.

  The four officers were able to help the man and his wife escape from the home while coordinating their efforts with firefighters and EMS personnel. There were no injuries and firefighters were able to save the home. The four officers receiving Meritorious Service Awards are Sgt. Steve Curtiss, Patrolman John Field, Patrolman Tom Gaboda and Patrolman Jack Sylvester. In addition, Ms. May will receive a special citation from the 200 Club.

   Dinner tickets and sponsorships are available by calling the 200 Club at (732) 279-4258.

  Information about membership in the 200 Club and its various programs is available at www.200clubofmorriscounty.com or by calling (732) 279-4258.

Contact
Doug Fenichel, APR
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Source:200 Club of Morris County
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Tags:Morris County, 200 Club, Morris County police, Morris County firefighters, Deadly Force
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