Metro officers receive lifesaving awards

Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000 | 9:10 a.m.

Eleven Metro Police officers were honored with lifesaving service awards at a Tuesday afternoon ceremony at Las Vegas City Hall.

Sgt. Michael T. Dailey and Officers Eric Kruse and Kenneth Marshall received the award for rescuing a woman and her 12-year-old son from an August flash flood in Moapa Valley.

The two victims were washed away with their car, and after becoming stuck in some debris they climbed on top of the car to signal for help. The sergeant and the two officers donned life jackets and made their way through waist-deep waters to rescue the two victims, Sheriff Jerry Keller said.

Officer David Vershall was the first on the scene of an Aug. 1 auto accident in which a woman suffered major injuries. Vershall opened the woman's airway and rendered medical assistance until paramedics arrived.

Corrections Officer Ronald Allen was off duty when he arrived at the scene of a two-car accident on June 20. One of the cars was on fire, and Allen pulled the dazed driver to safety despite the flames, Keller said.

Downtown area Officers Chad Embry, Collin Jotz and Jason Leavitt, responding to a fire in an apartment building on May 15, found the blaze moving toward a natural gas meter. Fearing an explosion, the officers evacuated surrounding apartments. They kicked in a door and carried an elderly man to safety.

Officers Michael Lardomita and Steven Moore saved a man who tried to hang himself with an electrical cord on June 11. The man was standing on a second floor ledge with the cord around his neck, and when he jumped, Lardomita grabbed and held him dangling from the balcony. Moore helped Lardomita pull the man to safety.

Sgt. Randy Sutton, who rushed into a burning house July 7 to see if anyone was trapped inside, also was honored. No one was inside, but Sutton searched every room before he was overcome by smoke.