|
|
|
|
                
|
|
Commendations September 20, 2005 - Personnel Order #2005-52 Patrol Officer Doug Dunwoody On April 14, 2005 at approximately 2330hrs, Brookline dispatchers received a transmission from the Boston Police Department regarding a women being assaulted and forced into a motor vehicle in Boston. Dispatch was informed that a Boston EMS worker was following the vehicle and that it was now traveling on Longwood Avenue in Brookline. Officer John Canney was working on a private detail at time and responded to the area, locating the vehicle at the intersection of Harvard Street and Beacon Street. Officer Canney activated his cruiser lights and attempted to stop the vehicle which accelerated through the intersection, failing to stop. Officer Canney notified dispatch and he, and assisting units, attempted to stop the fleeing vehicle which was driving recklessly down Harvard Street. The Prisoner Transport Unit, occupied by Officers Pat Sullivan and Doug Dunwoody, was traveling on Harvard Street in front of the fleeing vehicle and pulled a u-turn, causing it to slow down and then pull into a parking lot at 214 Harvard Street. Officer Dunwoody positioned the 554 Unit in the driveway, preventing their escape. Officers Canney, Dunwoody and Sullivan exited their cruisers and approached the vehicle. During this time, the operator, James Porter, rammed into one of the cruisers, and then drove the vehicle toward Officers Canney and Sullivan, causing them to move to avoid being hit. The operator put the vehicle into drive and drove back and forth in an effort to escape. Trapped by a steel gate in the parking lot and the 554 Unit, the suspects were surrounded by Officers Canney, Sullivan and Dunwoody. Showing considerable restraint, these three officers drew their firearms and ordered Porter and his passenger, Kevin Robinson, out of the car. The two subjects refused to exit the vehicle and had to be forcibly removed by Officers Canney and Dunwoody. With assistance of Captain Keaveney and Officers Carroll, Ferris, King and Malinn, both subjects were placed under arrest. At this time, Porter commented to the officers that he had been smoking crack cocaine and didn't understand what all the commotion was. Inside the vehicle, officers found a bag containing Oxycontin pills and the weapon used in the assault in Boston. They also found crack cocaine and a pipe on Porter and a bottle of liquor on Robinson. Boston Police units arrived on scene and with the assistance of the victim and witness, Porter and Robinson were identified as the suspects who had held a young female at knifepoint, attempted to kidnap her and then stole her vehicle in Jamaica Plain. In addition to their violent attack and dangerous actions in this incident, Porter and Robinson are suspects in a series of violent sexual assaults that had occurred in previous months throughout Boston. These situations can be extremely dangerous to officers, the public, and even the fleeing subjects. Due to the tactics employed by responding officers, there was no injury to anyone involved and the subjects were taken into custody. The professionalism and restraint that Officers Dunwoody, Canney and Sullivan displayed is a tribute to their abilities as police officers. They are commended for their bravery and their swift action which led to the apprehension of two armed and dangerous felons. Patrol Officer Daniel Yanez On May 13, 2005 at 0650hrs, Officers Yanez and Yee attempted to make a routine traffic stop of a vehicle operating with an expired registration. When they attempted to stop the vehicle in the area of Longwood Avenue and St. Paul Street, the vehicle fled. A check of the NCIC database revealed that the vehicle was stolen. The officers pursued the vehicle, adhering to the guidelines set forth in the Department special order relative to motor vehicle pursuits, and the subject, Doreen Hoey, was apprehended on Green Street in Jamaica Plain. In addition to fleeing in a stolen motor vehicle, Officers Yanez and Yee determined that Hoey was wanted for felony warrants in Lynn, Swampscott and Marblehead. Officers Yanez and Yee's commitment to enforcing motor vehicle laws, even at the end of their tour of duty, led to the removal of a wanted, habitual criminal from the street. These situations can be extremely dangerous to officers, the public and even the fleeing subjects. Due to the tactics employed by these officers, there was no injury to anyone involved and the subject was taken into custody without incident. Officers Yanez and Yee are to be commended for the restraint and professionalism they displayed during the pursuit and for their knowledge of Departmental procedures related to these incidents. Detective Carlos Crespo On July 14, 2005 at 1520hrs, Detective Carlos Crespo, who was off-duty at the time, was driving down Brookline Avenue and observed two males acting suspiciously. Knowing that Brookline Avenue is an area which had been the target of numerous motor vehicle breaks, Detective Crespo activated to duty and began surveillance on the subjects. One subject, Ivan Guzman, was on a bicycle and was circling parked vehicles while the second, Julian DeJesus, was crouched behind a bush along the Muddy River pathway adjacent to Brookline Avenue. Detective Crespo parked his unmarked vehicle and continued to observe the suspects. He witnessed DeJesus, who had been hiding behind the bush, start to inch out toward a parked vehicle. Detective Crespo called for backup assistance and started to approach the suspects. At that moment, the owner of the vehicle appeared and got into his car, sending DeJesus scrambling back toward the pathway. Detective Crespo approached the two suspects and questioned them about what they were doing. They stated that they were just hanging out and then DeJesus stated that he was not "stealing any car." Detective Crespo requested identification from them and as DeJesus was reaching into his pocket, the detective observed a long bulge in his right front pant pocket. Detective Crespo asked DeJesus if he had any weapons and he stated that he had a screwdriver because he worked at an auto repair store. DeJesus was acting agitated and started to move toward Guzman, ignoring Detective Crespo's orders not to move. Detective Crespo immediately stopped and conducted a pat frisk off DeJesus, finding a nine-inch screwdriver, a three-inch folding knife and a hypodermic needle. After confirming that DeJesus had been fired from the auto repair store several months prior and learning that he had forty entries on his criminal history, including numerous breaking and entering cases, possession of burglarious tools, receiving stolen property, and drug offenses, DeJesus was placed under arrest for possession of burglarious tools. Detective Crespo's initiative in investigating the suspicious behavior while off-duty and his keen observation of these two suspects led to the arrest of a career criminal who has likely been responsible for numerous breaks in our community. He is to be commended for his initiative and investigative skills in this case. Traffic Officer Keith Lacy On August 3, 2005, Traffic Officer Keith Lacy was working a special overtime assignment on an overnight shift in sector 9. His assignment was to patrol a neighborhood which had been the target of stolen property and parts from cars for several weeks. At approximately 0350hrs, Officer Lacy was monitoring a parking lot on Asheville Road and observed a vehicle with two male occupants exit the lot. He followed the vehicle and inquired through dispatch if the vehicle was registered to a resident in the area. While waiting for a response, he observed the vehicle abruptly pull out into traffic on the VFW Parkway, causing another vehicle to brake to avoid hitting it. At this time, Officer Lacy activated his cruiser lights and stopped the vehicle. Upon request, the driver, Walter Perez, provided a driver's license and vehicle registration, both with Roslindale addresses. The passenger, Yobanis Perez, who was slouched down in his seat and unbuckled, reached into his pocket and then stated that he didn't have any identification. When Yobanis Perez reached into his pocket, Officer Lacy heard the sound of clanging metal and felt the passenger was concealing something that could pose a threat to his safety. When a backup unit arrived, Officer Lacy removed Yobanis Perez from the vehicle to perform a pat frisk. As the passenger was exiting the vehicle, Officer Lacy observed an orange screwdriver on the rear seat. Due to the time of day, the fact that the occupants were not residents in the area, and the recent rash of stolen property and parts from motor vehicles in the area, Officer Lacy asked the driver, Walter Perez, if he could check the trunk of the vehicle. Perez replied "sure" and almost simultaneously pulled the trunk release. Inside the trunk, officers discovered two Audi headlights, tools, wire cutters and a flashlight. As Officer Lacy interviewed the occupants, Officer Szeto searched the area for an Audi with missing headlights, finding one in the area where Officer Lacy had seen the vehicle exit the parking lot. Sergeant Kelliher was on scene and matched up the cut wires on the headlights to the cut wires on the parked Audi. At this time, Walter and Yobanis Perez were both placed under arrest for malicious destruction of property, possession of burglarious tools, and receiving stolen property. Officer Lacy's attention to duty, keen observation skills and thorough investigative work led to the arrest of two criminals who were targeting our Town with their crimes. He is to be commended for his actions in this case and for helping to alleviate this rash of crimes. Detective Thomas O'Leary On August 19, 2005 at 1523hrs, units were dispatched to 110 Longwood Avenue for two males trying to break into an apartment. Detective Thomas O'Leary was the first unit on scene and entered the front hallway of the building, hearing footsteps running down the stairs on the opposite side of the door. At this time, Detective O'Leary held the door shut until the subjects stopped running, opened the door and identified himself. He asked them for identification and both complied. When asked why they were in the building, they gave vague and inconsistent answers about looking for a woman who lived in the building and stated that they were dropped off there by another girlfriend. When backup units arrived on scene, Detective O'Leary pat frisked the subjects, identified as Mark O'Brien and James Harvey, finding folding knives on both. The victim reported to officers at the scene that he witnessed O'Brien and Harvey ringing the doorbells of different apartment in an effort to gain access into the building. The victim then heard a light knock on his door and did not answer it. The knocking became louder and when the victim observed his front door knob moving and a tool between the door and jam, he dead bolted the door and called police. At this time, O'Brien and Harvey were placed under arrest for attempted B & E and possession of burglarious tools. Harvey was also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon and had a warrant out of Phoenix, Arizona. During an inventory search of the two suspects, a set of keys was found on Harvey. The keys belonged to a motor vehicle that was located in a nearby lot. The owner of the vehicle was contacted and stated that O'Brien and Harvey were authorized to use the vehicle. The owner was informed that the two men were under arrest and she authorized the Detectives to search her vehicle for any stolen property. Detective O'Leary and Detective Sergeant William Riley searched the vehicle and discovered a large amount of property (jewelry, electronics, etc.) inside. The Detectives looked at the property list from residential breaks that occurred at 1821 Beacon Street earlier in the day and at 24 University Road during the previous day and were able to match items they found in the vehicle to those reported by the victims. Items were also matched to a residential break in Roxbury. In addition to the stolen property, detectives discovered a yellow backpack in the trunk of the car which contained 15 hypodermic needles and other drug paraphernalia. Both subjects have extensive records for theft related crimes and drugs. For his quick response and diligent investigation, Detective O'Leary is to be commended. His strong investigative skills and thoroughness led to the arrest of two habitual criminals, the clearance of numerous residential burglaries and the recovery of thousands of dollars worth of stolen property. Detective Patrick Mahoney On August 24, 2005 at 1550hrs, multiple Brookline police units responded to the area of Brookline Avenue for a report that a man had just broken into a car and was running down the street with a backpack and a stolen radio. The first officers on scene reported that the window to the vehicle was smashed and that there was blood on the inside from the suspect. Detective Patrick Mahoney responded to the call and checked the area along the Riverway and Mission Park. Inside the Mission Park housing complex, Detective Mahoney located an unattended backpack with clothing inside, which matched the description of the clothing worn by the suspect. A sweatshirt inside the bag also had a bloodstain on it. While investigating the contents of the bag, Detective Mahoney observed a subject, Edwin Alvarez, acting suspiciously nearby. Alvarez, who was not wearing a shirt, was pacing back and forth and acting concerned with Detective Mahoney' presence. Detective Mahoney approached Edwin and asked if the backpack was his. Alvarez stated that it was not. Detective Mahoney further observed that Alvarez had a fresh wound on his arm, consistent with reaching in through a broken window. As Detective Mahoney questioned Alvarez, he became aggressive, started yelling and clenching his fists. Detective Mahoney checked Alvarez's criminal history and learned that he had several entries, including assault and battery on a police officer, breaking and entering and drug violations. It was also determined that Alvarez had an outstanding warrant and he was placed under arrest. For his intuitive sense of where to search for the suspect, as well as, for his keen observations of both the bag and the suspect, Detective Patrick Mahoney is to be commended. His diligent investigative skills in this case resulted in the swift apprehension of this criminal. Patrol Officer Michael Disario On August 27, 2005 at midnight, Officer Michael Disario was on patrol in the Coolidge Corner area when he observed a motor vehicle exiting from a Town parking lot behind the 400 block of Harvard Street, off Fuller Street. Officer Disario was aware of some recent attempts to break into the stores through the rear of the buildings off this parking lot so he pulled into to check the area. As he pulled into the lot, he observed two parties, Rebecca Bohannon and Nhan Hieu Khuc, attempting to break into the rear of Buddha's Delight restaurant at 404 Harvard Street. Khuc was standing on two tree pots up against the base of an open window. On the ground beneath him, Officer Disario observed a screen which was bent and mangled. Khuc jumped down off the tree pot and explained that he worked for the restaurant and was watering the plants. He also stated that he was waiting for his friend, seen in the car exiting the lot, to come back and get them. At this time, Officer Disario observed that the second subject, Bohannon, was holding a swiss army knife which had damage consisent with being used as a burglarious tool. At this time, Officer Kerrigan and Sergeant Kelliher arrived on scene to assist. Both parties were interviewed and stated that they worked for the restaurant. Based on their inconsistent accounts of the evening, the presence of a removed window screen and fresh fingerprints on a window, and the observations made by Officer Disario upon entering the parking lot, both Khuc and Bohannon were arrested for attempted B & E and possession of burglarious tools. During the follow-up investigation, it was determined that Khuc was a former employee of the restaurant who was fired approximately one month prior for being suspected of stealing cash. Bohannon was identified as Khuc's girlfriend and it was determined that she never worked for the restaurant. Officer Disario exhibited diligent patrol efforts and keen observation skills in this case and is to be commended for his work in catching these two burglars in the act. The above are examples of the excellent police work that was conducted 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
|
|