Metro awards officers for meritorious service

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2000 | 10:43 a.m.

Several officers and the Criminal Apprehension Team were given awards during Tuesday's Metro Police commendation ceremony.

Officer Edward Laneve received the Meritorious Service Award for his action during a heavy downpour on Feb. 21. Laneve went to the Charleston Underpass to close the roadway and was told a car was submerged and might still have a person inside.

Laneve dove into the water and swam down to the car. The person had escaped before Laneve dived in, but Sheriff Jerry Keller said that didn't take away from the bravery of Laneve's actions.

Officers David A. Dodd and Michael E. Jeffries were presented Meritorious Service Awards for their actions on March 15 during a car chase.

When Dodd tried to pull over a car, the driver fled and attempted to ram the police car. The fleeing car was being driven erratically. Jeffries arrived and helped Dodd force the car off the road.

The members of the Criminal Apprehension Team were given the Unit Meritorious Service Award for the continuing effort of catching wanted felons.

Receiving the award were Sgt. Alfredo Cervantes and Detectives Jack Clements, Dan Flaherty, George Headley and Tina Snyder of Metro; Deputy U.S. Marshal R. Joe Gardner of the U.S. Marshals Service; Officer Mark Koch of the North Las Vegas Police Department; Officer Monique Panet-Swanson of the Henderson Police Department and Special Agents Castle Nishimoto, James Patrick, Dave McKean and John Sweet of the FBI.

During the first 10 months of fiscal year 1999, the team arrested 840 felons. The team has surpassed all 56 fugitive apprehension teams in the United States and is ranked No. 1 nationally.

Two officers received Metro Police's Lifesaving Award. Officer Dean R. Mills was given the award for performing CPR on an 80-year-old woman Jan. 1 and calling for paramedics. He continued to perform chest compressions while paramedics worked on the woman.

Officer Prokopios Ziros received the award for helping a man who slashed his wrists and stabbed his own throat. Ziros on March 11 tried to calm the man, but the man started stabbing himself.

When the man dropped the knife, Ziros kicked it away. The officer then got a blanket, wrapped his fingers in it and placed his fingers in the wound in the man's neck to stop the bleeding while waiting for paramedics to arrive.