Police honor citizens, officers for community contributions

Heather Rawlyk

Monday, Nov. 3, 2003 | 9:29 a.m.

Henderson Police honored local citizens and police officers for their outstanding contributions to the community.

Chief Michael Mayberry presented awards Thursday at the Multi-Generational Center, 250 S. Green Valley Parkway.

Michael Landry, Marvin Doan and Ronnie Carey received Certificates of Appreciation for assisting an officer when they noticed large sheets of drywall and hundreds of nails in the roadway. The three stopped their vehicles and helped the officer clear the roadway by sweeping and shoveling the debris.

Kirk and Karen Kneezle also received a Certificates of Appreciation. They volunteered the use of their home as a base of operation for a crisis negotiation team dealing with the report of an armed and barricaded man.

A Distinguished Service Award went to Steven Glenn for intervening in the in December 2002 stabbing attack on workers and citizens in the Clark County Social Services Building. Glenn pushed the attacker off a woman he was beating, saving her life. Glenn intervened again after the attacker began stabbing another woman, police said.

Glenn sustained multiple stab wounds, fractured bones in his spine and several abrasions and bruises from his confrontation with the man. Glenn's actions saved the lives of the two women, police said.

Officers Brian Pollard, Chris Smith and Eddie Tyndall received the Life Saving Award for responding to the same attack.

Ken Lowery received the Commendable Action Award for identifying the vehicle of a grand larceny suspect. Lowery, a Henderson business license officer, was monitoring the police radio in his city vehicle and noted the description of the suspect and the license plate number of the suspect's vehicle, police said. Lowery spotted the stolen car in Henderson and called police dispatch to inform them that he was following the vehicle. Lowery then directed the police to the vehicle's location.

Officer Roger Matuszak received a Certificate of Appreciation for leading a special bicycle patrol detail during the 2002 holiday shopping season to help address the seasonal increase in crime. Statistics showed a 45 percent decrease from the previous year in targeted crimes as a result, police said.

Another Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Officer James Tetzlaff, who in Januar was working on the report desk in the main police station when a person entered, wanting to register a handgun. Although the gun's serial numbers did not show that the weapon was stolen, the person's actions were suspicious, police said.

Tetzlaff investigated and found out that the gun had been stolen in a recent home burglary.

Officer Craig Mancuso received a Certificate of Appreciation for intervening in an attack. In July Mancuso was on routine patrol when he saw three men attacking another man. Mancuso immediately radioed dispatch, requested additional officers and intervened in the attack.

Mancuso was able to detain two of the suspects until other officers arrived. The third suspect was apprehended later.

Officers Michael Webster, Adam Brooks, Kevin McCarty, Robert Honea, Benson Harper and Kirk Moore were presented with the Unit Commendable Action Award. In January the officers were faced with a mentally disturbed and suicidal man armed with a large knife and a sharp pick inside an apartment. The man stood 6 feet from the officers yelling, "I just want to die."

Moore tried to calm the man down while the other officers provided cover, police said. After three minutes, the team was able to get the man to drop the weapons. The man was then taken into custody.

Officer Curtis Weske received a Commendable Action Award for apprehending a man with a gun at a Basic High School football game in August. Weske was working at the game when he noticed a young man carrying a pair of shorts as he climbed over the stadium fence. A .380-caliber handgun was found in the shorts, and Weske later learned that the suspect was wanted in connection with the shooting of his father the day before in North Las Vegas.

Investigator Lynn Montoya was given a Community Service Award for helping out a troubled family. Montoya came in contact with a couple whose children had been removed because of the parents' addiction to drugs and neglect of the children. After finding the parents to be remorseful and in a helpless state, Montoya began to mentor the family and helped them prepare the proper paperwork through welfare agencies to get medical assistance and a place to live.

Montoya helped the parents improve their situation and the courts deemed them fit to care for their children again.