Staff photo / Ed Runyan Lt. William Ward, left, presented commendation certificates to scores of Youngstown police officers Thursday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Officers shown receiving awards are, Marcin Stachowicz, center, and Patrick Mulligan.

YOUNGSTOWN — Police Chief Carl Davis said the roughly 90 awards given out Thursday to members of the Youngstown Police Department are for the “dedication and self-sacrifice they have shown to make Youngstown a better place in which to live and work.”

Davis, speaking from the podium in the social hall of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, said reading the descriptions of the officers’ commendable work makes him proud.

“These officers are to be commended, rightfully honored and thanked for their efforts,” he said. “You stepped up, even in the face of adversity, and because you stepped up, we are a better community.”

Davis said the department could not give annual awards last year because of COVID-19, so this year’s ceremony covered two years. “This is probably the best day in the six to seven months I’ve been chief,” he said.

The first scenario the chief described involved the work of officers when they responded to DuPont Street for a shooting victim. That victim was reporting that his assailant from the night before had returned and was now outside of his apartment.

When officers arrived, the suspect fled, so officers set up an area they hoped would contain him. Officers Jeffrey Roberts and Marcin Stachowicz, along with a police dog, tracked the suspect into the woods.

Officers Colleen Villio and Robert Martini spotted the suspect, leading to Stachowicz, Roberts and the dog apprehending him, Davis said.

Two of the awards went to officers Casey Kelly and Gregory Tackett, credited with possibly saving the life of a man Aug. 22, 2020, when they responding to a gunshot victim on Samuel Avenue on the South Side.

Kelly, who served in the Navy prior to joining the police department five years ago, saw that the victim had a type of chest wound that needed to be sealed off immediately or the man might die. Kelly had received first aid training in the Navy, as well as police first-aid training.

Kelly took the wrapper off of a bandage in his first-aid kit and used the wrapper to seal the wound and then wrapped it with the bandage, then-police chief Robin Lees told a Youngstown City Council committee last year.

Youngstown police awards

Departmental commendation

Officers with at least one departmental commendation, which is for employees who performed in an exemplary manner in any single instance or incident

• George Anderson, Mohammad Awad, Richard Blaine Jr., Michael Brindisi, Joseph Burnich, Assad Chaibi, Aaron Coleman, Carlo Eggleston Jr., Brian Ferreri, Bernard Fronzaglio, Stephen Gaetano, Marc Gillette, Robert Giovanni, Matthew Hassey, Jimmy Hughes Jr., Casey Kelly, Edward Kenney, Robert Martini, Michael Medvec, Randall Miller, Patrick Mulligan, John O’Neill, Douglas Pesa, Jeffrey Roberts, Jacob Short, Kylee Simmons, Matthew Simon, Phillip Skowron, Marcin Stachowicz, Gregory Tackett, Luis Villaplana, Colleen Villio and Thomas Wisener.

Investigative award

Officers who performed in an exemplary manner in any single investigation

• George Anderson, Joseph Burnich, Jimmy Hughes Jr., Michael Lambert, Joshua Rivers and Christopher Staley.

Meritorious-service award

Officers who showed a high degree of initiative or police professional skill

• Kenneth Blair, Ryan Curry, Carlo Eggleston Jr., Robert Giovanni, Fred Herdman, Jimmy Hughes Jr., Amir Khan, Joseph Moran, Douglas Pesa, Michael Quinn, Joshua Rivers, James Rowley, Kylee Simmons, Christopher Staley, Gregory Tackett, Luis Villaplana, Christopher Weibel, Thomas Wisener and clerk Theresa Zurasky.

Lifesaving

Officer who performed any single act of heroism or exemplary initiative that results in the saving the life of another person

• Casey Kelly and Gregory Tackett.

Excellent duty awards

Officers who demonstrated continual professional performance during the entire year and competence in assigned duties.

• Carlo Eggleston Jr., Kenneth Garling, Jimmy Hughes Jr., Amir Kahn and Frank Rutherford.

firearm reduction

Officers arrested five people or more in a one-year period for firearm-related offenses

• Carlo Eggleston Jr., Jimmy Hughes Jr., Amir Khan, Michael Quinn, Joshua Rivers, Kylee Simmons and Christopher Staley.

Source: Youngstown Police Department