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Commendations November 29, 2004 - Personnel Order #2004 -54 PATROL OFFICER JOHN TRAINOR On August 29, 2004, the Boston Police Department broadcast the description of a suspect and vehicle wanted for a bank robbery at the intersection of Tremont Street and Huntington Ave. Brookline units responded to the area to assist in the search for the suspect. Officer Canney first stopped a subject fitting the description but it was determined that he was not the robber. Officer Trainor then spotted a subject fitting the description attempting to flag down a cab in front of the Brook House at 44 Washington Street. After a struggle, Officers Trainor and Canney apprehended the suspect, Paul Callihan, at gunpoint. Callihan had committed numerous bank robberies in Greater Boston and is a suspect in past robberies in Brookline. Officer Trainor and Officer Canney are to be commended for responding to assist the Boston Police in apprehending this suspect and for making this excellent arrest. PATROL OFFICER KEVIN FALLON On September 24, 2004 at 10:28 p.m., Officer Fallon was dispatched to 192 Gerry Road for a noise complaint. Upon arrival, Officer Fallon recognized the occupant of the apartment as a suspect wanted for kidnapping and robbery in West Roxbury. Officer Fallon had seen the photo of the suspect, Dominic Johnston, on a wanted poster. Johnston attempted to conceal his true identity and when confronted by Officer Fallon, assisted by Officer Ford, he became belligerent. Johnston's girlfriend also arrived on scene and was uncooperative. The couple denied the officers access to the house. While awaiting a copy of the poster to verify Johnston's identity, Officer Fallon and assisting Officers Ford, Stephenson, Murphy, Pilot and Lt. Myles Murphy set up surveillance on the apartment. During this time, Johnston, who has an extensive criminal record including murder and multiple gun possession charges, would open the door and yell at the officers. Upon confirming his identity, the officers took Johnston into custody, where he continued to struggle. Due to Officer Fallon's keen observation of the subject's identity and his calm and professional response, he was able to quickly identify and apprehend a wanted person and prevent a more dangerous situation. Officer Fallon also displayed a true sense of compassion by taking the time to comfort a neighbor who was frightened by this situation. Officer Fallon's follow-up in this case also lead to the relocation of that frightened neighbor and the issuance of a "no trespass order" against Johnston to ensure he does not return to the property. Officer Fallon is to be commended for his work in this case. OFFICER BRIAN KEAVENEY On September 27, 2004, Officer Brian Keaveney was dispatched to the Runkle School to assist in looking for two missing 12-year-old boys. The mother of one boy had gone to the station to report that her son was not at school when the father went to pick up him. She spoke with School staff who reported the last class he went to was at 12:30pm. Classmates who were interviewed reported that one of the two students looked upset during that class because of an argument he had been involved in. The two boys had left the school after their music class and had been seen heading toward Dean Park. Officer Keaveney, along with Sergeant Murphy and assisting units, conducted a search of the area but were unsuccessful in locating the two youths. Detective Collins, assigned to conduct a follow-up, spoke with the boys' families as well as classmates to determine where the two might have gone. A short while later, the dispatch center received a call from one boy's father stating that he got a call from his son's friend and that his son was in Newton and that he was OK. The boy told his friend that he was one payphone near a big white sign and that he was trying to get to Webster, MA. During this time, numerous Brookline marked units, as well as, Detectives Collins, Kelliher and Trahon, were searching for these boys. The Newton Police and MBTA Police were notified and a broadcast was put out over the Boston Area police radio network. Detective Collins called back one of their friends to find out if she had heard from them. She had just received call from them and was able to get the telephone number of the payphone they called from. Detective Kelliher was able to track down the location of the phone thorough the telephone company's security division. The boys were at a Gulf gas station on Washington Street in Brighton. Detective Collins and Kelliher went to Brighton to pick up the two boys and brought them back to the station where they were interviewed by Detectives Trahon and Collins. The boys stated that they had been teased by some students during music class. The students made comments to them about being gay. One of the boys made some comments back and then was upset about the argument. After class, the boys continued to be picked on and decided to skip school. They went to the movies and then to visit a friend in Newton. On the way back, they got lost. They were cold and tired and called their friend from the payphone because they were scared. Due to the exceptional efforts of Officer Brian Keaveney, Detective Robert Collins and Sergeant Mark Trahon, these two young boys were located and brought home safely. Their actions went above and beyond and showed compassion and concern for these youths and their families. These officers are to be commended for their exceptional efforts. OFFICER TIMOTHY STEPHENSON On September 30, 2004, Officer Timothy Stephenson identified the suspect of a robbery at the Blockbuster Video Store on a wanted poster created that day by the Identification Unit. Officer Stephenson, upon viewing the poster, informed the Detective Division that the suspect, Rolando Taylor, had been arrested by the Department in April 2004. Officer Stephenson remembered that the suspect had given numerous aliases and in an attempt to verify his identity, Stephenson had gone to his residence at 50 Parkman Street. As a result of Officer Stephenson's information, a search and arrest warrant was obtained and executed at this address. Taylor, his brother, who is also believed to be a suspect in the case, and additional evidence were located at this address. The arrest photo of Taylor was also used in a photo array which was shown to two victims of the robbery. They positively identified him. Officer Stephenson is to be commended for his sharp memory and attention to police work, resulting in the arrest of a career criminal. DETECTIVE-SERGEANT MICHAEL RASKIN On October 28, 2004, Sergeant Michael Raskin was awarded the Metropolitan Boston EMS Counsel's EMS First Responder of the Year Award. In the nomination, it was stated that Sgt. Raskin is "an indefatigable advocate for high quality EMS not only in Brookline, his home town, but in surrounding communities as well… Mike fights for the best response to a patient's needs using whichever resources are most timely and availably." Sergeant Raskin was noted for implementing AEDs in the Police Department, as well as, the Brookline Schools. In the last year, Sergeant Raskin was selected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety to led an AED selection process which led to every municipality in the State receiving at least one of these life saving devices. This award is an enormous credit to Sergeant Raskin and all his efforts to improve medical service in the Commonwealth. His knowledge and skills in the area of emergency medical service have benefited the Department and residents of Brookline significantly. Sergeant Raskin is to be commended for his work in this area and congratulated for this high distinction. OFFICER JOSEPH KING On November 13, 2004, units were dispatched to the Stop and Shop at 155 Harvard Street for a handbag theft. A woman reported that her handbag was stolen from her shopping cart and the suspect fled the store. The victim and store manager pursued the suspect, later identified as Earl Johnson, into the parking lot. When confronted in the parking lot, Johnson threatened, "I'm going to get my knife." The suspect then fled in his car toward Brookline Village. The suspect's vehicle description and license plate were given out to responding units. At the time the call the dispatched, Officers King and Ferris were at the police station. They left the station and headed in the direction of Johnson's flight. At the intersection of Washington and Harvard Street, they located him sitting at a traffic light. Officers King and Ferris approached the vehicle and questioned him. Johnson told the officers that he was coming from the CVS pharmacy and had just made a u-turn when a man tried to open his car door. When asked if he had been at the Stop and Shop, he stated "no." Both the store manager and victim were brought to the scene of Johnson's stop and they positively identified him as the subject. Johnson was placed under arrest. A Board of Probation inquiry revealed that Johnson has had 91 arraignments in Massachusetts Courts. It was also determined that Johnson had failed to register as a sex offender. Johnson also has ten aliases and carried an identification card with a different name and address. The card was seized. In addition to the armed robbery charge, Johnson was charged with failing to register as a sex offender, possessing a false identification, and traffic offenses. Officers King and Ferris' fast response lead to the quick apprehension of this suspect. Their actions removed a serious, habitual offender from the street and they are to be commended for their exceptional work. SERGEANT THOMAS WARD On November 16, 2004, Sergeant Thomas Ward was assisting Officers Weinstein and Maguire on a motor vehicle stop on Brookline Ave when a vehicle caught his attention. The vehicle pulled into traffic, crossing a double solid line and causing other vehicles to beep. Sergeant Ward activated his lights, signaling the vehicle to stop. The driver, later identified as David Bennett, could not pull over immediately because of the heavy flow of traffic and prior to stopping was observed to be moving about in his seat suspiciously. When the vehicle did stop, Sergeant Ward requested the assistance of a second unit. Officers Corrigan and Wagner responded to the scene and the occupants were instructed to get out of the vehicle. At that time, Officer Wagner observed a clear plastic bag in the rear of the passenger's seat. The bag contained two smaller plastic bags containing marijuana. The passenger was identified as Matthew Gilbert and when asked if he had drugs in his possession, he stated that he did. Officers found additional marijuana in numerous locations in the vehicle. Both the driver and passenger were arrested. Sergeant Ward is to be commended for his initiative in making the stop, as well as, for his keen observation of the suspect's suspicious movements prior to the vehicle stopping. His ability to direct officers on scene as to his observations of the subjects is also to be applauded. The above are examples of the excellent police work that has been done over the last several months by the men and women of the Brookline Police Department. These officers are to be commended for their efforts in keeping Brookline a safe place to live, work and visit. Daniel C. O'Leary
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