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Click this link for news reports of law enforcement acts of heroism http://kardasz.org/blog/heroic_acts/ |
Kindness, Bravery and Courage
Law enforcement officers are sometimes criticized and ridiculed for their misdeeds. They seldom receive
sufficient praise for their meritorious work. Most officers act in accordance with their code of ethics at all
times. Much is made of their misdeeds, and little is made of their exemplary service.
This page chronicles law enforcement acts of kindness, bravery and courage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hero Police Officers Michael Agati and David Hozempa Prevent a Suicide and Possible Homicides
by Kevin Caruso
At about 8:00 p.m. on May 13, 2004, Officers Michael Agati and David Hozempa of the Johnson City, New
York, Police Department responded to a call concerning a suicidal man with several weapons. The suicidal
man, Dane Dixon, 53, was on the first floor of his home and three of his friends were on the upper floor.
“[Dixon] told officers he was going to kill himself or they were going to kill him, either way he wasn’t coming
out, they would have to come in and get him," said Stephen Korutz, chief of police. An hour-long standoff
ensued.
The officers were able to enter the home and ensure the safety of the three individuals on the upper level.
They then began talking with Dixon, but he started to walk away. Officers Agati and Hozempa followed him
through the house and then outside to the driveway. It was there that Dixon turned around and pointed a
loaded shotgun toward Officer Agati. Officer Hozempa then charged at Dixon, who then pointed the gun at
him.
Officer Hozempa grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and then both officers wrestled him to the ground and
subdued him. “My training took over,” Officer Hozempa said. “Everything happened in an instant.”
“Because of their actions, these two officers are still alive and so is Mr. Dixon,” said Chief Korutz. Dixon had
several shotguns, rifles, and knives in the house, as well as over 45,000 rounds of ammunition. What
could have been a horrible tragedy, with several deaths, ended up as an incident in which no rounds were
fired and no one was injured.
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.preventsuicidenow.com/michael-agati-and-david-hozempa-
prevent-suicide.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brooklyn officer foils robbery
On July 12, 2005 Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz commended New York City Police Officer
Vincent A. Schiavarelli on his valiant efforts to protect Brooklyn citizens from a dangerous assailant.
“Despite being off-duty, officer Schiavarelli foiled an attempted robbery at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Prospect
Lefferts Gardens. He put himself in harm’s way in order to save others from potential injury from a knife-
wielding assailant,” Markowitz said. “It is a testament to his courage and selflessness that his first instinct
was to put himself at risk in order to keep others from harm. In some places, they call that kind of bravery
going above and beyond the call of duty. Around here, we call it having the Brooklyn attitude! Clearly
Schiavarelli has the Brooklyn attitude and then some!”
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/Press/2005/jul12b.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Police 'hero' to be honored by council
Current staff reports - The Lansing Current. 10/06/07
Lansing (Kansas) Police Officer Billy Blackwell II is Ann Smith’s hero, and she wants all of Lansing to know
it.
During the Lansing City Council meeting this week, Mrs. Smith will get her chance to spread the word when
Blackwell is scheduled to be recognized for rescuing Mrs. Smith this summer.
Blackwell was patrolling June 26 when a fire started at Mrs. Smith’s home in the 500 block of South
Second Street. Mrs. Smith, a 79-year-old woman who lives alone, called 911 and within moments
Blackwell was at her door. “He saw the fire through the kitchen window and rushed into the house,” Mrs.
Smith recalled this week. “He got me out in spite of the fact that I was saying, ‘I want to do this and that.’”
Mrs. Smith, who uses a walker because of arthritis and other medical ailments, passed out just as
Blackwell was helping her out of the house. “He literally saved my life in spite of the danger to his own life,”
Mrs. Smith said.
“He was certainly my guardian angel that day — I really believe that.” Firefighters with Leavenworth County
Fire District No. 1 arrived after Blackwell and extinguished the fire, but not before it gutted Mrs. Smith’s
house.
“The walls are standing, but almost everything inside was destroyed,” said Mrs. Smith, who now is living in
a Leavenworth apartment while her home is being repaired.
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.lansingcurrent.
com/news/2005/oct/06/100605police_hero_be_honored_council/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hostage saved by police hero
09/28/04
Bravery honor... Sergeant Philip Muller. A Rochdale policeman helped save the life of a young girl whose
drunken father was threatening to slash her throat with an eight-inch kitchen knife.
For more than four hours trained hostage negotiator Sergeant Philip Muller and a colleague used all their
skill to talk the man, a former soldier, into releasing the child unhurt.
"It was the most intense and delicate operation in the most difficult circumstances I have ever been
involved in," said Sergeant Muller. "There was very serious concern that he was going to kill his daughter,
so it was an extremely difficult job to get him to surrender. There was tremendous relief when he finally
released his daughter and gave himself up."
Yesterday, 49-year-old Sergeant Muller who lives in Littleborough, and his colleague were given the Chief
Constable’s Citation of Merit in a ceremony at Manchester Town Hall for their exceptional courage and
bravery. It was the day before Christmas eve that police were called to a house in the Northern Moor area of
Manchester after the ex-soldier returned home in a drunken rage.
After assaulting and threatening to kill his wife, he threw her out of the house and locked their six-year-old
daughter inside. When two police constables arrived at the scene they looked through the glass in the
locked front door and could see a man holding the knife.
The man swore at them, threatening to kill them both and his daughter if they attempted to enter. One of the
policemen, assisted by colleagues, used a ram to smash the door open and was confronted by the man,
who lunged at him with the knife.
Although the police officer managed to deflect the blows, he was faced with such a vicious assault that he
and other officers were forced to withdraw. Despite the danger three constables re-entered the house
using protective shields and saw the man clutch his daughter and put the knife to her throat.
As one police officer tried to reason with him, the man again tried to stab him, narrowly missing him.
Realising the peril the young girl was in, the police officers abandoned a further rescue attempt.
A short time later Sergeant Muller and another officer arrived and began the lengthy and painstaking
process of negotiating with the knife man. The man then put the knife to the child’s throat and took her
upstairs with the intention of tempting the negotiator to a position of risk.
A psychologist suggested that, due to the man’s military background, a more assertive style of negotiation
should be used. Sergeant Muller, who has been in the police force for 30 years and is now based at the
force’s Chester House headquarters, applied the change in tactics with skill and professionalism, finally
bringing the traumatic siege to a conclusion after more than four hours.
The man put down his knife, surrendered and released the little girl unharmed. Later he appeared before
Manchester Crown Court and was sentenced to four years’ jail for common assault, false imprisonment,
threats to kill and affray.
Dave Appleton. The Rochdale Observer
retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.
uk/news/s/45/45237_hostage_saved_by_police_hero.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tennesee Valley Authority Police Officer Thomas McDaniel Receives CFC Hero Award
05/27/05
TVA Police Officer Thomas McDaniel has won the 2004 Combined Federal Campaign Hero Award for his
efforts with the CFC and volunteer efforts in the community.
The CFC Hero is presented a nnually to one federal worker from the civilian, military and postal
communities by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. The award recognizes McDaniel for his many
CFC activities in the Smoky Mountain Region over the past 16 years, including serving as CFC cochair for
three years, working on the Local Federal Campaign Committee and the Agency Evaluation Committee,
serving as a key worker and for organizing a special collection of funds and supplies following the Sept. 11,
2001 terrorist attacks.
“Thomas McDaniel is making a difference in the local community through his involvement in CFC and his
many volunteer efforts,” said TVA Executive Vice President of Human Resources John Long, who served as
chairman of TVA’s Smoky Mountain Region CFC this year. “His many contributions including efforts to
teach school children about water safety and gang awareness and his work with the Junior Olympics are
helping shape the next generation of community leaders.”
McDaniel is a 32-year TVA employee and has been invited to receive his award at a national CFC ceremony
at the White House next month. “Officer McDaniel gives back to the community through his job and his
volunteer efforts, which have earned him well-deserved regional and national recognition for his generosity,
community involvement and volunteer spirit,” said TVA Executive Vice President of Administration LeAnne
Stribley. “Tom is an outstanding employee, who unselfishly gives of his time and talent on and off the job. I’
m proud to have him on my team.”
McDaniel is a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the FBI Instructor
Development Course. He is a member of the TVA Police Honor Guard and the Tennessee Gang
Investigations Association. In 2002, he was honored as the TVA Police Officer of the Year. TVA is the nation’
s largest public power provider and is completely selffinanced. TVA provides power to large industries and
158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.5 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact
Gil Francis, News Bureau, (865) 632-8031
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.tva.gov/news/releases/aprjun05/mcdaniel.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read about more heroes from the 100 Club of Buffalo at: http://www.100clubbuffalo.org/hero.html
Law enforcement officers are sometimes criticized and ridiculed for their misdeeds. They seldom receive
sufficient praise for their meritorious work. Most officers act in accordance with their code of ethics at all
times. Much is made of their misdeeds, and little is made of their exemplary service.
This page chronicles law enforcement acts of kindness, bravery and courage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hero Police Officers Michael Agati and David Hozempa Prevent a Suicide and Possible Homicides
by Kevin Caruso
At about 8:00 p.m. on May 13, 2004, Officers Michael Agati and David Hozempa of the Johnson City, New
York, Police Department responded to a call concerning a suicidal man with several weapons. The suicidal
man, Dane Dixon, 53, was on the first floor of his home and three of his friends were on the upper floor.
“[Dixon] told officers he was going to kill himself or they were going to kill him, either way he wasn’t coming
out, they would have to come in and get him," said Stephen Korutz, chief of police. An hour-long standoff
ensued.
The officers were able to enter the home and ensure the safety of the three individuals on the upper level.
They then began talking with Dixon, but he started to walk away. Officers Agati and Hozempa followed him
through the house and then outside to the driveway. It was there that Dixon turned around and pointed a
loaded shotgun toward Officer Agati. Officer Hozempa then charged at Dixon, who then pointed the gun at
him.
Officer Hozempa grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and then both officers wrestled him to the ground and
subdued him. “My training took over,” Officer Hozempa said. “Everything happened in an instant.”
“Because of their actions, these two officers are still alive and so is Mr. Dixon,” said Chief Korutz. Dixon had
several shotguns, rifles, and knives in the house, as well as over 45,000 rounds of ammunition. What
could have been a horrible tragedy, with several deaths, ended up as an incident in which no rounds were
fired and no one was injured.
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.preventsuicidenow.com/michael-agati-and-david-hozempa-
prevent-suicide.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brooklyn officer foils robbery
On July 12, 2005 Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz commended New York City Police Officer
Vincent A. Schiavarelli on his valiant efforts to protect Brooklyn citizens from a dangerous assailant.
“Despite being off-duty, officer Schiavarelli foiled an attempted robbery at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Prospect
Lefferts Gardens. He put himself in harm’s way in order to save others from potential injury from a knife-
wielding assailant,” Markowitz said. “It is a testament to his courage and selflessness that his first instinct
was to put himself at risk in order to keep others from harm. In some places, they call that kind of bravery
going above and beyond the call of duty. Around here, we call it having the Brooklyn attitude! Clearly
Schiavarelli has the Brooklyn attitude and then some!”
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/Press/2005/jul12b.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Police 'hero' to be honored by council
Current staff reports - The Lansing Current. 10/06/07
Lansing (Kansas) Police Officer Billy Blackwell II is Ann Smith’s hero, and she wants all of Lansing to know
it.
During the Lansing City Council meeting this week, Mrs. Smith will get her chance to spread the word when
Blackwell is scheduled to be recognized for rescuing Mrs. Smith this summer.
Blackwell was patrolling June 26 when a fire started at Mrs. Smith’s home in the 500 block of South
Second Street. Mrs. Smith, a 79-year-old woman who lives alone, called 911 and within moments
Blackwell was at her door. “He saw the fire through the kitchen window and rushed into the house,” Mrs.
Smith recalled this week. “He got me out in spite of the fact that I was saying, ‘I want to do this and that.’”
Mrs. Smith, who uses a walker because of arthritis and other medical ailments, passed out just as
Blackwell was helping her out of the house. “He literally saved my life in spite of the danger to his own life,”
Mrs. Smith said.
“He was certainly my guardian angel that day — I really believe that.” Firefighters with Leavenworth County
Fire District No. 1 arrived after Blackwell and extinguished the fire, but not before it gutted Mrs. Smith’s
house.
“The walls are standing, but almost everything inside was destroyed,” said Mrs. Smith, who now is living in
a Leavenworth apartment while her home is being repaired.
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.lansingcurrent.
com/news/2005/oct/06/100605police_hero_be_honored_council/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hostage saved by police hero
09/28/04
Bravery honor... Sergeant Philip Muller. A Rochdale policeman helped save the life of a young girl whose
drunken father was threatening to slash her throat with an eight-inch kitchen knife.
For more than four hours trained hostage negotiator Sergeant Philip Muller and a colleague used all their
skill to talk the man, a former soldier, into releasing the child unhurt.
"It was the most intense and delicate operation in the most difficult circumstances I have ever been
involved in," said Sergeant Muller. "There was very serious concern that he was going to kill his daughter,
so it was an extremely difficult job to get him to surrender. There was tremendous relief when he finally
released his daughter and gave himself up."
Yesterday, 49-year-old Sergeant Muller who lives in Littleborough, and his colleague were given the Chief
Constable’s Citation of Merit in a ceremony at Manchester Town Hall for their exceptional courage and
bravery. It was the day before Christmas eve that police were called to a house in the Northern Moor area of
Manchester after the ex-soldier returned home in a drunken rage.
After assaulting and threatening to kill his wife, he threw her out of the house and locked their six-year-old
daughter inside. When two police constables arrived at the scene they looked through the glass in the
locked front door and could see a man holding the knife.
The man swore at them, threatening to kill them both and his daughter if they attempted to enter. One of the
policemen, assisted by colleagues, used a ram to smash the door open and was confronted by the man,
who lunged at him with the knife.
Although the police officer managed to deflect the blows, he was faced with such a vicious assault that he
and other officers were forced to withdraw. Despite the danger three constables re-entered the house
using protective shields and saw the man clutch his daughter and put the knife to her throat.
As one police officer tried to reason with him, the man again tried to stab him, narrowly missing him.
Realising the peril the young girl was in, the police officers abandoned a further rescue attempt.
A short time later Sergeant Muller and another officer arrived and began the lengthy and painstaking
process of negotiating with the knife man. The man then put the knife to the child’s throat and took her
upstairs with the intention of tempting the negotiator to a position of risk.
A psychologist suggested that, due to the man’s military background, a more assertive style of negotiation
should be used. Sergeant Muller, who has been in the police force for 30 years and is now based at the
force’s Chester House headquarters, applied the change in tactics with skill and professionalism, finally
bringing the traumatic siege to a conclusion after more than four hours.
The man put down his knife, surrendered and released the little girl unharmed. Later he appeared before
Manchester Crown Court and was sentenced to four years’ jail for common assault, false imprisonment,
threats to kill and affray.
Dave Appleton. The Rochdale Observer
retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.
uk/news/s/45/45237_hostage_saved_by_police_hero.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tennesee Valley Authority Police Officer Thomas McDaniel Receives CFC Hero Award
05/27/05
TVA Police Officer Thomas McDaniel has won the 2004 Combined Federal Campaign Hero Award for his
efforts with the CFC and volunteer efforts in the community.
The CFC Hero is presented a nnually to one federal worker from the civilian, military and postal
communities by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. The award recognizes McDaniel for his many
CFC activities in the Smoky Mountain Region over the past 16 years, including serving as CFC cochair for
three years, working on the Local Federal Campaign Committee and the Agency Evaluation Committee,
serving as a key worker and for organizing a special collection of funds and supplies following the Sept. 11,
2001 terrorist attacks.
“Thomas McDaniel is making a difference in the local community through his involvement in CFC and his
many volunteer efforts,” said TVA Executive Vice President of Human Resources John Long, who served as
chairman of TVA’s Smoky Mountain Region CFC this year. “His many contributions including efforts to
teach school children about water safety and gang awareness and his work with the Junior Olympics are
helping shape the next generation of community leaders.”
McDaniel is a 32-year TVA employee and has been invited to receive his award at a national CFC ceremony
at the White House next month. “Officer McDaniel gives back to the community through his job and his
volunteer efforts, which have earned him well-deserved regional and national recognition for his generosity,
community involvement and volunteer spirit,” said TVA Executive Vice President of Administration LeAnne
Stribley. “Tom is an outstanding employee, who unselfishly gives of his time and talent on and off the job. I’
m proud to have him on my team.”
McDaniel is a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the FBI Instructor
Development Course. He is a member of the TVA Police Honor Guard and the Tennessee Gang
Investigations Association. In 2002, he was honored as the TVA Police Officer of the Year. TVA is the nation’
s largest public power provider and is completely selffinanced. TVA provides power to large industries and
158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.5 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact
Gil Francis, News Bureau, (865) 632-8031
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
Retrieved October 23, 2005 from http://www.tva.gov/news/releases/aprjun05/mcdaniel.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read about more heroes from the 100 Club of Buffalo at: http://www.100clubbuffalo.org/hero.html
| Dr. Frank Kardasz P.O. Box 45048 Phoenix, AZ 85064 e-mail: kardasz(at)kardasz.org blog: www.kardasz.org/blog/ resume |
Ethics Training for Law Enforcement |