14 Metro officers honored for outstanding service

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

Sheriff Jerry Keller recognized 14 Metro Police officers Tuesday for outstanding and brave actions, including four officers commended for their efforts at ground zero in New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks.

K-9 Sgt. Todd Fasulo and officers Mike Horn, Steve Junge and Eric Kerns were given the Meritorious Service Award during a ceremony Tuesday. The officers and their K-9 dogs went to the wreckage of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 25 as part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency team from Nevada.

The officers spent five days, working 12- to 14-hour shifts, searching for victims in the rubble. The officers helped find three victims, Keller said.

Six officers were given the Lifesaving Award for their efforts in five incidents.

Correction Officers Ronald Allen and Danielle Bedor on Feb. 16 found a 22-year-old man unconscious in a Clark County jail cell with a telephone cord around his neck in an attempt at suicide. Allen began chest compressions and Bedor gave the man mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until paramedics took the man to University Medical Center. The man died a couple of weeks later in the hospital.

Officer David Hicks was given the award for his thwarting a woman's attempt at killing herself. On April 11 Hicks spotted a woman standing on the Desert Inn Arterial, about 40 feet above Highland Drive, saying she was going to jump.

Hicks spoke with the woman, trying to bring her off the wall. As the woman started moving toward the edge, he distracted the woman and then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to safety.

Officer Matthew Gillis was given the award for his efforts in saving a 2-year-old boy on June 15 during a drowning. The boy's parents were giving him CPR, and when Gillis arrived he started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until paramedics arrived.

Also receiving the Lifesaving Award were Officer James Testa for his efforts on May 8 of getting residents out of an apartment when flames from a burning truck were reaching the wall of the building, and Officer Prokopios Ziros for giving CPR to a child who had stopped breathing on May 12.

Keller also commended four officers with the Exemplary Service Award.

Lt. Ronald Johnson and Sgt. Mark Sharp were given the award for organizing and planning the 15th annual D.A.R.E. conference held in Las Vegas in July, with more than 4,000 police officers attending from across the country.

Officer Gregory Rundell earned the award for making an educational video after two teenage girls were killed and three others were injured in a horrific accident that ripped the car into two pieces. The video has been used by several school districts, police departments and insurance industry officials across the country.

Officer Kevin Stephens was given the Exemplary Service Award for seeing a need for a physical fitness obstacle course at the police academy and building it using donated material and involved his Boy Scout Troop for a community service project.