Chief’s Award of Merit - Officer James Bjostad and Officer Steven Laux While Minneapolis Police Officers are not trained to fight fires, they certainly respond to the calls. Their work often allows our firefighting friends to attack a blaze. On April 7th, Officers James Bjostad and Steven Laux rushed to a home that was engulfed in flames and immediately handled the traffic issues presented by the scene. At the same time, they were talking with neighbors to gain crucial information for the firefighters, who needed to know that some family members were still inside the home. Unfortunately, firefighters did find a deceased male victim on the second floor. After speaking with neighbors, it was Officers Bjostad and Laux who located the victim’s wife, who was out of the state. As they worked to support her in this difficult time, a number of other family members arrived at the home. Our Arson Sergeant notes that the compassion they showed the distraught family was quote… outstanding… and their service brought great credit to the MPD. I’m proud to honor Officers James Bjostad and Steven Laux with Chief’s Awards of Merit.

Chief’s Award of Merit – Officer Juan Valencia We don’t talk about the MPD Range very much, but the men and women assigned to run it are true professionals; they do their jobs and go above and beyond to make sure our officers are proficient and well-trained. While every member on this staff does exceptional work, Range Master Sergeant Caspers wanted to specifically honor Officer Juan Valencia, who is in charge of the Department’s Patrol Rifle Program. In order to ensure the training is completed, he comes in early and stays late, accommodating officer schedules, which are all over the board. He’s a respected instructor, and his unique skill set ensures successful and safe training for approximately 100 patrol rifle officers. He’s quick to lend a hand and tracks equipment and ammunition expended. I cannot eloquently state how valuable Officer Valencia is to this department, so I’ll steal the words of Sergeant Caspers. “Officer Valencia’s work performance has resulted in improved operations, substantial savings in organizational costs by streamlining the use of instructor resources and equipment, and minimizing the needed for multiple re-qualifications to occur.” I’d say that deserves a Chief’s Award of Merit.

Chief’s Award of Merit – CSO Thomas Ferguson I’m sure many of you have heard me talk about the importance of our Community Service Officer Program, which provides incredible opportunities for us to bring the best and brightest in our communities into our ranks. Commander Scott Gerlicher, who heads up our enormous Super Bowl 52 Security Efforts, would like everyone to know that Community Service Officer Thomas Ferguson has done more than take advantage of his opportunity. This is a story of self-motivation and dedication. During the X-games, which gave the MPD somewhat of a trial run for Super Bowl operations, CSO Ferguson put in 14 hour days. He was the first to arrive in the morning, setting up the check in tents, issuing credentials, and managing Polaris Rangers and other pieces of equipment. Not sure if you remember this particular weekend, but it was close to 100 degrees, so he also made sure officers had plenty of water and refreshments. When the games wrapped up, he took down the tents. It should also be more than mentioned that CSO Ferguson has become the unofficial point-person and subject matter expert on our Salamander Program. The credentialing system will be used during the Super Bowl, and there are technical aspects which Ferguson is eager to walk anyone through. These may seem like thankless jobs, but I cannot tell you how important this work has been for our Super Bowl security teams. Please join me in honoring CSO Thomas Ferguson, with a Chief’s Award of Merit.

Chief’s Award of Merit - Meghan Anderson Dr. Camille McArdle Caroline Hairfield Jena Wasche Melissa Mathis Jacob Young Last June, our Animal Crimes Sergeant Investigator began an investigation into a case where a dog was intentionally killed. That investigation eventually led him to a farmstead in New Prague in December, where he found the suspect, who was immediately arrested. What he also found, executing a search warrant, were 66 dogs in a barn, garage and farm house. They were sick, didn’t have any food or water, and living in their own waste. To make matters worse, there was no heat in any of these buildings, and the temperature that evening was 20 below zero. The Sergeant knew he had to act immediately to save the animals, but local officials in Rice County were not equipped to help. At this point, he had nowhere to turn. He desperately called his predecessor, who hooked him up with Minneapolis Animal Care and Control. They arrived, far out of jurisdiction, a short time later with 3 vans. For two hours, in sub-zero temperatures, Jena Wasche, Jacob Young and Meghan Anderson worked to recover, record, and shelter those poor dogs. Once back in Minneapolis, Melissa Mathis and Doctor Camille McArdle cared for the dogs for more than 2 months, as the court case with the suspect continued. Our Sergeant also wants to publicly thank Minneapolis Animal Care and Control Director Caroline Hairfield for recognizing not only the Sergeant’s dire situation, but the immediate help required to save 66 animals in deplorable and dangerous conditions. I’m proud to present Chief’s Awards of Merit to our friends, and in this case, saviors, from Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, Congratulations.

Citizen’s Award of Commendation Robert Friddle Kevin Phillippe Joseph Henderson Matthew Thomas Thomas Kraus When you think about it, it’s pretty incredible that we ask our officers to put themselves in harm’s way and serve the community every single day. It’s more than a job, it’s a calling. Sometimes our residents and visitors to our city step in to help police, and help people in distress, while also putting themselves in harm’s way. It is truly amazing, and I’m excited to talk about the heroic actions of Robert Friddle, Joseph Henderson, Thomas Kraus, Kevin Phillippe and Matthew Thomas. In April, a woman had been chased through traffic on a city street. The male suspect tackled the woman and began stabbing her. That’s when our brave and selfless Good Samaritans stepped in. One man pulled the suspect off the female, imploring her to run away as he distracted the suspect. Four more men jumped in to help, actually apprehending and holding down the assailant until police arrived. The woman was treated for her injuries, and could have been gravely injured or killed had these 5 men not intervened to help. This award was written up by our Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, which searches for, and arrests, our most wanted violent offenders. If those officers say the actions of our brave citizens are a big deal… let’s just say that means a lot to us. I’m honored to present Robert Friddle, Joseph Henderson, Thomas Kraus, Kevin Phillippe and Matthew Thomas with Citizen’s Award of Commendation.

Excellence in Investigation – Officer Ricardo Muro and Officer Ross Lapp

Here at the Minneapolis Police Department, the term “career case” really means something. I’m here to tell you about a career case that was the result of some incredible detective work and the unwavering persistence of Weapons Investigators Ricardo Muro and Ross Lapp. It involves a long term investigation into a criminal gang enterprise trafficking firearms and narcotics. This case also included numerous locations and individuals spread across the country. Through surveillance, the officers learned a money vehicle would be leaving the state in early February. The weapons unit, Minnesota State Patrol, and our federal partners stopped the vehicle, and armed with a search warrant, seized 391-thousand dollars. Follow up search warrants lead them to 4 pounds of Meth and a couple pounds of marijuana. A few days later, the same teams stopped another vehicle. Using another search warrant, they seized 91 pounds of Meth and 118-thousand dollars. The drugs were destined for the streets of Minneapolis. This team was on a roll, and the next week, on Valentine’s Day, the officers served search warrants on three locations, grabbing an additional 10 pounds of Meth, 10 pounds of Cocaine, 155-thousand dollars in cash and 3 suspects, who have now been charged federally. All told, Muro and Lapps’ investigation netted 10 pounds of cocaine, 105 pounds of Meth, 664-thousand dollars in cash and 5 people who have been charged federally. That, my friends, is what we call a “career case.” Congratulations and thank you Officers Ricardo Muro and Ross Lapp.

Citizen’s Lifesaving Award - Travis Thorpe

On May 11th, Travis Thorpe was just standing outside the Arcana Lodge Building at Central and Lowry when he heard a large crash. He turned around to discover a moped had collided with a Sport Utility Vehicle. Thorpe sprinted into traffic, and began to help the moped driver, who was in the middle of the busy intersection, laying on top of the hot exhaust of his two-wheel vehicle. Our hero on this day is a former cop and military EMR. Thorpe directed other civilians to work on re-directing traffic and went to work, stabilizing the victim’s head and beginning CPR. After two minutes, the victim’s eyes moved and he noticed a faint pulse. For the next three to five minutes, the victim’s pulse would come and go. Through our Traffic Investigation Unit, we’ve learned doctors were able to keep the man alive on machines long enough for his family to say good bye, thanks to the selfless reaction of Travis Thorpe. The victim managed to help many others by donating his organs. It is my pleasure to present Mr. Thorpe with a Citizen’s Lifesaving Award.

Citizen’s Lifesaving Award Olivia Amrani Connor Meckle Jillian Balestri Naomi Seeley Gregory Fahey Chelsea Studer

One of our 5th Precinct Officers received one of the most difficult calls our

officers can be asked to respond to. On May 2nd a caller found a woman

hanging in a tree in a city park. Upon arrival, the officer quickly checked for a

pulse before paramedics rushed the victim to the hospital. It was after the

ambulance left the scene that the officer, and his supervisor, heard a tale of

heroism from folks who just happened to be nearby.

Connor Meckle and Naomi Seeley were packing up their hammock when

they noticed a small dog running around, next to a pile of clothes. Curious,

they began to look for the dog’s owner. They discovered that she was

hanging in a tree and they immediately flagged down Gregory Fahey, who

happened to be walking by. Gregory sprinted over to the tree and grabbed

the victim’s legs, lifting her up to take tension off her neck. Chelsea Studer,

who was also in the area, helped Gregory lift the victim to relieve the choking

pressure. Olivia Amrani supported the victim’s neck and Jillian Balestri

climbed the tree, freeing the leash from around the victim’s neck. The Good

Samaritans lowered the woman down while Amrani continued to support

her neck.

These six individuals saved a life that day. They worked together and helped

a woman in her most desperate time of need. Please join me in recognizing

them all with Citizen’s Lifesaving Awards.

Lifesaving - Sergeant Karl Olson and Officer Jason Okerberg

On June 4th, 3rd Precinct Daywatch Sergeant Karl Olson was the first to arrive to the Skyline Market on 24th and 10th. Not only did he find a 17 year old male lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his chest, he found a hostile crowd surrounding him. Some in the area continued to shout that the gunshot wound victim…… quote… needed to die. Sergeant Olson made his way through the crowd and began chest compressions on the young man. Officer Jason Okerberg also answered this call, and helped his Sergeant try to deal with this extremely difficult situation. The victim’s eyes were fixed and dilated and he wasn’t breathing. Paramedics continued to provide CPR in the ambulance, and once inside HCMC’s STAB room, a cardiologist opened up the victim’s chest and manually messaged his heart for more than 30 minutes before he was rushed into surgery. The victim lived for 16 hours, before succumbing to his injuries. Sergeant Karl Olson and Officer Jason Okerberg’s efforts prolonged this teenager’s life, and they worked in unimaginable conditions. I’m proud to present them both with Lifesaving Awards.

Lifesaving - Officer Aimee Colegrove and Officer Brianna Garman A couple of months ago, Officer’s Aimee Colegrove and Brianna Garman were on routine patrol in the 5th Precinct when they were flagged down by a Minneapolis Fire Captain, who was alone at the fire station at 28th and Blaisdell. A 23 year old woman had arrived at the station; she was in cardiac arrest after overdosing on heroin. Our heroes in blue helped the Captain remove the victim from the vehicle and the three of them began chest compressions and ventilations while calling for an ambulance. Paramedics quickly arrived, attached the woman to an automatic chest compressor, and rushed her to Abbott Hospital. The entire time, the victim was completely unresponsive and did not show any signs of life. She was brought back to life at Abbott, and the actions of that Fire Captain, alongside the fast-responding officers, helped save a 23 year old woman’s life. I’ve also been told that this entire, heroic incident was captured on the officer’s body cameras. I’m honored to present Officer’s Aimee Colegrove and Brianna Garman with Lifesaving Awards.

Lifesaving - Officer Jamie Conway and Officer Isaac Raichert

Squad 310 was dispatched to a “check the welfare” call at McDonalds on September 28th. Officers Jamie Conway and Isaac Raichert arrived immediately, and realized that a man had locked himself in the restaurant bathroom for more than 30 minutes. He did not respond to repeated calls for him to unlock the door and come out of the bathroom. The Officers forced their way in and discovered the man slumped over. He was lifeless, his skin a pale gray color. He wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. Officer Raichert began chest compressions while Officer Conway gave the man lifesaving breaths. HCMC paramedics arrived and administered NARCAN, as it was apparent this was a drug overdose. The man’s vital signs returned to normal once he arrived at the hospital. He was given a fighting chance by this team of 3rd Precinct cops; it is hard to imagine what would have happened if they might have arrived even 1 or 2 minutes later. Please join me in congratulating Officers Jamie Conway and Isaac Raichert for these Lifesaving Awards.

Lifesaving - Officer Dante Dean

Sometimes an officer has no idea what he or she may encounter upon dispatch. Officer Dante Dean was working an able car on July 12th when he was dispatched to an unknown trouble; he would quickly learn that he was about work on a call that is among the most difficult any officer can face. He found a 1 year old who wasn’t breathing; he immediately began chest compressions while instructing the 9-1-1 caller, the daycare provider, to control the toddler’s head and start giving the baby breaths. Another 3rd Precinct Officer then arrived and retrieved Officer Dean’s pocket mask. Dean then repositioned the boy’s head and started mouth to mouth until paramedics and firefighters arrived. They were able to give the toddler a steady heartbeat, transport him to HCMC, and ensure that his heart was beating on its own. Doctors told Dean’s Supervising Sergeant that his chest compressions and breath supplied oxygenated blood to the baby’s brain. The on scene Fire Captain was quick to remark, quote, Officer Dean, “you are a true hero and you saved this boy’s life.” Not sure there’s a better way of saying that, so it is my pleasure to present Officer Dante Dean with a Lifesaving Award.

Lifesaving -Officer Steven Derhaag and Officer Trista Kreft

We have yet another tale of heroism, this time from the fine officers on the 2nd Precinct’s Middlewatch. On July 25th, Officer Trista Kreft responded to an overdose call; the victim, who was surrounded by distraught family members, was turning blue. Kreft put the call out over the radio and immediately began CPR. Officer Steven Derhaag answered Kreft’s call and upon arrival, began to take over the chest compression part of the CPR. At one point, on body camera footage, you could see the young woman take a couple of short breaths. The chest compressions continued until Firefighters arrived and delivered life-saving NARCAN. It was not only the officers CPR actions that need to be commended on this call; their supervising Sergeant reviewed the call and talked to family members, who were quick to point out their amazement at how the officers maintained their professionalism while compassionately comforting the victim’s family during these crucial moments. Had it not been for their response, the young woman may not have survived the overdose. Another example of Minneapolis’ finest; I’m proud to present Officers Steven Derhaag and Trista Kreft with lifesaving awards.

Lifesaving - Officer Alexandra Dubay

Officer Dylan Johnson Officer Emily Osterberg

It continues to amaze just how many times MPD officers save lives over the course of a year; it is a reminder of why we pin these badges on every day. Another difficult call that our officers face from time to time is a dispatch to a “down” call. That was the exact nature of the call that Officers Alexandra Dubay, Dylan Johnson and Emily Osterberg responded to while working Middlewatch in the Fourth Precinct on March 19th. They found a man lying on the edge of an alley behind an Oliver Avenue North address; officers believed he had been sitting down and then fell over face-first onto the ground. Officers Dubay and Johnson tried to wake him, but it was clear that he wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse. This appeared to be an overdose situation, so the officers immediately called for EMS and began conducting compressions on the victim. Officer Osterberg arrived and relieved the tired officers who had been administering CPR for a number of minutes. When paramedics arrived and took the man to the hospital, it did not look like the victim would survive. Officers Dubay and Johnson went to the hospital and learned the man was in critical condition. They would later learn that he survived. The actions of all three of these officers saved his life, and for that, I’d like to present them with this Lifesaving Award.

Lifesaving - Officer Tracy Gross

You may notice a lot of the calls we are talking about revolve around drug

overdoses, and heroin in particular. While officers are not doctors, they are

expertly trained in how to save lives, or prolong lives between their time of

arrival, and the time paramedics or firefighters arrive. Alongside ER doctors,

the teamwork of all first responders and doctors save countless lives every

year. In keeping with this theme, I’d like to tell you about Officer Tracy Gross,

who was working squad 8313 on November 2nd. She responded to yet

another unknown trouble call in the 1300 block of Franklin

Avenue and found a man trying to bring his friend back to life following a

heroin overdose. Officer Gross quickly took over CPR duties until EMS

arrived, and the teamwork of all involved saved a woman’s life. Officer Tracy

Gross, congratulations on your Lifesaving Award.

Lifesaving - Officer Conor McDonough

During the early morning hours of August 13th, during a particularly chaotic downtown bar close, Officer Conor McDonough sprinted toward an area where a fight had been called in. Well, that call quickly changed to a stabbing. McDonough was facing a large and uncooperative crowd, but his sole focus was on a critically wounded stabbing victim. Wading into this difficult and stressful scene with Officer McDonough was one our recruits on her 4th day on the job. The officer was surrounded by a noisy crowd that had just participated in, or witnessed this fight. McDonough directed his recruit to apply a tourniquet to the victim’s arm, which had blood pouring out of a large knife wound at an alarming rate. At the same time, McDonough and the victim’s girlfriend applied pressure on a chest wound that was simultaneously bleeding a critical rate. Our paramedic friends took the patient to the ER where he survived, but may not have, had it not been for the quick thinking, calm directions, and courageous actions of Officer Conor McDonough. Congratulations sir, on this Lifesaving Award.

Lifesaving - Officer Dennis Milner Everyone who puts on the baby blue uniform knows they are a part of something bigger than one individual; they’re part of a family and a team. We’ve already learned that teamwork saves lives. A large dose of courage, bravery and selflessness can also be crucial traits in these harrowing situations. Fifth Precinct Officer Dennis Milner rushed to a call this year and found a student who had climbed onto the roof of a high school. She was threatening to jump. Milner ran upstairs, out onto the rooftop, and found the student talking to a school staff member and School Resource Officer. While they were speaking to the young woman, Officer Milner motioned to them to keep her distracted as he snuck up behind her. Without any regard for his own personal safety, high above the ground on a rooftop, the officer grabbed the teen from behind and pulled her away from the ledge. The Sergeant who wrote the Officer up for this award noted that he put himself into harm’s way in order to save a life. Today, Officer Dennis Millner has more than earned a lifesaving award.

Lifesaving - Officer Graham Plys and Officer David Robins

On June 2nd, 3rd Precinct Dogwatch Officers Graham Plys and David Robins were called to what’s known as a slumper call on East Lake Street. They arrived to find a male, now out of his vehicle, who had just overdosed. Plys and Robins knew exactly what they need to do; what they didn’t know is how long they’d need to provide lifesaving measures. For four minutes, think about that, four straight minutes, the pair of officers continued with chest compressions on the victim until paramedics arrived. Those paramedics used a Lucas device on the victim, but it was the persistent and lifesaving actions of the officers that saved this man’s life. I’m proud to award Officers Graham Plys and David Robins with Lifesaving Awards for their efforts.

Lifesaving - Officer Justin Reisdorfer During the early morning hours of July 1st, Officer Justin Residorfer and his partner had just cleared a call following a large fight in the 5th Precinct, near the Uptown Entertainment District. Shortly after, a shots fired call was updated to a shooting call in that same area. While his partner began chasing suspects, Officer Reisdorfer discovered a number of people on the ground, surrounding a gunshot victim. She was lying near a car, surrounded by shards of broken glass. The officer quickly applied chest compressions on the victim, who did not have a pulse and was not breathing. He did all of this without even knowing if the gun-firing suspect was still in the immediate area. Reisdorfer’s partner performed a modified jaw thrust and the victim began coughing and gasping. Paramedics arrived and helped her breathe. The actions of Officer Justin Reisdorfer may very well have saved her life, and for that, I’m proud to honor him with a Lifesaving Award.

Medal of Commendation – Sergeant Deitan Dubuc Lifesaving - Sergeant Renee Lewis

Officer Graham Plys and Officer David Robins

The men and women of the Minneapolis Police Department are asked to respond quickly and remain calm in the most difficult situations. The evening of September 27th is a perfect example. Officers Plys and Robins were dispatched to a domestic call. They made contact with a male, who requested to be transported elsewhere. Plys and Robins accommodated him, and at that time, the individual did not show any signs of mental illness or anguish, nor did he exhibit anything that would lead the officers to believe he was suicidal. But immediately after dropping him off, the man walked on to the Lake Street Bridge and climbed over the ledge, hanging over an area of shoreline with only 6 to 8 inches of concrete to stand on. The officers realized that if he fell, he would have instantly died. Officer Robins began speaking with the man and noticed he was taking dozens of pills from a prescription bottle. Sergeant Lewis, a trained crisis negotiator, quickly arrived on scene and started to calm the man down, as she slowly inched closer to him with Plys and Robbins. Meanwhile, Sergeant Dubuc arrived and was placed into a harness by responding Minneapolis Firefighters. As they were tying off Dubuc to bridge supports, the man became disturbed by his presence. He started to scream and yell, repeating an earlier cry for the officers to just shoot him, and end his life. Knowing that time was running out, the approaching officers then realized the man started to have a medical condition. Robins grabbed him through the bridge railing at the last possible moment, pinning him against the railing as Sergeant Lewis and Officer Plys grabbed onto his arms to prevent him falling. The man began coughing up pills and foaming at the mouth. Had it not been for the actions of the responding officers, the man would have fallen and died. I’m proud to honor Sergeant Dubuc with a Medal of Commendation and present Sergeant Lewis, Officer Plys and Robins with Lifesaving Awards.

VALOR – Officer Jeff Seidl

Officer Jeff Seidl was working alone when he responded to an unknown trouble call near 18th and Park. He would later learn the suspect was the 9-1-1 caller. Officer Seidl found the man near an SUV, and he was advancing on him quickly carrying two serrated kitchen knives, one in each hand. The Officer repeatedly ordered the man to drop the weapons, but every time it looked like he was going to, the suspect ignored the commands, and continued to close the space between himself and the officer. At one point, the suspect did drop the weapons, but then picked them back up and continued to move towards Officer Seidl, who had used his radio to air information that started several more squads towards the incident. Seidl discharged his service weapon but did not strike the advancing suspect, and soon after, the distraught individual went down to the ground where the he was handcuffed without assistance or force. The Supervising Sergeant writes “the officer showed great clarity of mind, remaining calm under an immediate threat to his own personal safety, and by using the exact amount of force necessary, he brought this incident to a peaceful end for both himself and the suspect.” Officer Jeff Seidl’s actions have earned him a Medal of Valor.

VALOR – Sgt. Karl Olson, Officer Jamie Conway, Officer Christopher Flack, Officer Ellen Jensen, Officer Nicholas Kapinos, Officer Jason Okerberg, Officer Michael Primozich, Officer Gabriel Wood, Officer Lynette Unke-Park PD, Officer Andrew Heinen-Park PD

Citizens Award of HONOR– Paul Meskan and David Patz HONOR– Sgt. Daniel McDonald, Officer Matthew Blade, Officer Vicki Karnik, Officer Gregory Kosch, Officer Dean Milner

Chiefs Award of MERIT- Lt. Gary Nelson, Sgt. Karl Olson, Officer Dean Milner Anyone who is here today to receive an award today for their selfless, courageous and heroic actions on August 20th, please join me at the front of the room. Chief Ohotto would you please join us up here as well. You may remember, on August 20th, at 10:24 in the morning, there was a massive explosion at Minnehaha Academy. Dozens of people rushed into this dangerous scene to save lives. Now, I want to start by saying we cannot, in words, give you a full picture of the bravery we witnessed on this difficult day. All we can really do is honor those who put their lives on the line for others, who they didn’t know at the time. I can sincerely tell you that the lives of our heroes, and the victims, are now linked. Friendships have been formed, bonded by people who are extremely grateful and compassionate. Where do I begin? I want to start with Paul Meskan and David Patz, who live near the Academy. Mr. Meskan, a Ramsey County Sheriff’s Deputy, was pulling weeds in his yard. Mr. Patz was enjoying his morning coffee. Within a matter of seconds, after hearing and feeling a large explosion, the two men were trying to pull a two-story wall of concrete off a man who was trapped under a large pile of debris in the center of devastation. Meskan sent Patz to his home to grab a large pipe, which was used to crush the wall, which was far too heavy to lift. Soon they were joined by fast-responding officers. Officers Dean Milner and Greg Kosch ran into this terrifying scene. Following the blast, the building collapsed. Two people were killed and several more were missing. Officers Kosch and Milner began working with Mr. Meskan and Mr. Patz. They were quickly joined by Officers Vicki Karnik and Matthew Blade. This six person team began the difficult and painstaking work of breaking apart the wall, cinderblock after cinderblock.

Flames 20 feet high, fueled by leaking gas, surrounded them. They were then informed that they were in grave danger of a secondary explosion. The heat of the surrounding flames became unbearable and some officers noted they felt their hair begin to melt. They told their citizen counterparts that they could lose their lives in a secondary explosion, but nobody left until they picked apart that wall that was crushing the individual below. Officer Milner and Sergeant Dan McDonald lifted what remained of the wall after Officer Karnik applied a tourniquet to the man’s left leg. Officers Kosch and Blade dragged the victim to safety where he was whisked away by paramedics. Sergeants Karl Olson and Officers Jamie Conway and Jason Okerberg arrived on the east side of the school. They were met by a man who had been injured by the blast, and were quickly informed that the gas had not been shut off. The Sergeant asked if there were more potential victims inside and were told that 3 more people were still unaccounted for. Olson aired the names of the missing as he ran into the dangerous situation with Conway and Okerberg. The building was unstable as they sifted through concrete rubble in the South building, clearing several rooms while waiting for that possible, secondary explosion. MPD Officers Ellen Jensen, Christopher Flack, Nicolas Kapinos, Gabriel Wood and Michael Pimozich were joined by Park Police Department Officers Lynette Unke and Andrew Heinen. This team also searched the Southside of the building, rushing through rooms that were completely dismantled, observing that the ceiling tiles had blown off, walls had fallen down and windows were blown out. They got the message that a secondary explosion was still a very real possibility, and yet they continued to search for victims, with little regard to their own personal safety, more than putting their own lives on the line to help others in need. Finally, I’d like to say a little something about leadership. We expect our leaders to remain calm under intense pressure. Lieutenant Gary Nelson, Sergeant Karl Olson and Officer Dean Milner did more than deliver on that devastating day. The stakes couldn’t have been higher and the situation could not have been any more dangerous. Lieutenant Nelson had just fallen asleep, after an overnight shift where he was in charge of the whole city, when he rushed in to answer the call. He organized our officers, made sure everyone had rest and resources immediately after the chaos, and he coordinated with the multitude of agencies and insurance workers who investigated the incident in the following days and weeks. During those first hectic moments, Sergeant Karl Olson was the Incident Commander, and his leadership overseeing more than 50 responding

officers should not only be noted, it should be commended. And finally, Officer Milner, our first arriving officer, called for medical and coordinated the original life-saving efforts, delegating and directing the efforts as officers heroically dismantled the 2 story concrete wall that was crushing a man trapped beneath it. So, this is going to be like roll call! First, please join me in saluting and honoring Paul Meskan and David Patz with Citizen’s Awards of Honor. Words cannot express how proud our officers were to be working beside you on August 20th! Next, I’d like to honor our leaders with Chief’s Awards of Merit. Congratulations to Lieutenant Gary Nelson, Sergeant Karl Olson and Officer Dean Milner. Now for our Medals of Valor, for bravery in the face of grave danger. These fine officers truly protected with courage and served with compassion. Thank you for your service, above and beyond the call of duty. Congrats to Sergeant Karl Olson and Officers Jamie Conway, Christopher Flack, Andrew Heinen, Ellen Jensen, Nicholas Kapinos, Jason Okerberg, Michael Primozich, Gabriel Wood and Lynette Unke. And finally, it is with great pleasure and pride that I present these Medals of Honor to Sergeant Dan McDonald and Officers Matthew Blade, Vicki Karnik, Gregory Kosch and Dean Milner.