Metro officers who saved babies receive awards

Jen Lawson

Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 | 10:01 a.m.

Two Metro Police officers who are credited with saving the lives of two babies last year were given awards Thursday at the department's first commendation ceremony of the year.

In addition, three officers and a gang-crimes team were given meritorious service awards, and an auto theft investigative team was given an exemplary service award.

"I'm so proud of you and so proud to be your sheriff," Sheriff Bill Young said at the ceremony, held in the Las Vegas City Council Chambers. "We don't give these awards to just anybody. They're earned, and they're deserved."

In October, Officer William Van Cleef responded to a call of an infant who wasn't breathing at an apartment complex on the 3900 block of Sunset Road.

The child was on the ground surrounded by a group of panicked people, Young said. When Van Cleef couldn't find a pulse, he began performing CPR until medical personnel arrived.

"According to the ER doctor, without his intervention (the child) never would have lived," Young said before handing Van Cleef a lifesaving award.

Two months earlier, in August 2004, Officer Dewane Ferrin was dispatched to help a woman who had just given birth in a backyard. When Ferrin arrived, the mother and baby were gone.

About 30 minutes later Ferrin found a woman whom he thought might be the mother, but she denied having given birth, Young said.

Finally she led him to the baby, who was nearby and wrapped in a towel with the umbilical cord still attached. Ferrin was also given a lifesaving award.

In May 2004, Officer Shaun Woodard responded to a rollover collision on Boulder Highway and found a victim gravely wounded and bleeding from the nose, mouth and ears.

He administered CPR for eight minutes before medics arrived, but the victim died at the scene, Young said. Woodard was given a meritorious service award.

Officers Robert Schultz and Roger Price were also given meritorious service awards for shooting some pit bulls who were attacking people in July 2004 near Saint Louis and Eastern avenues.

Metro's VIPER (Vehicle Investigation Project for Enforcement and Recovery) Team, consisting of Sgts. John McGrath and Susan Shingleton; Officers Joseph Brobeck, Nathan Chio, Franklin Farmer, Mark Misuraca, Rodney Mitchell, Shane Price, Glenn Rector, Michael Simmons, Russell Smith, Samuel Smith, Lance Spiotto, Jeffrey Toschi, Erick Wilds and William Willson; and investigative specialist Lisa Pope were credited with lowering the auto theft rate during a 90-day saturation period. They were given unit exemplary service awards.

Finally, the gang-crimes section's investigative team #2, consisting of Detectives Andrew Burnett, Gary Douglas, James Fink, Russell Laws, Mark Linebarger and Patricia Spencer were also given meritorious service awards for their response to a shooting at an apartment complex in July 2003 involving an alleged gang member.