NORTH BRUNSWICK — More than a dozen North Brunswick police officers received Lifesaving Awards for their heroic actions last year.
Several officers also received Unit Citations, Exceptional Service Awards and Letters of Commendation, as did the township fire marshal and public safety telecommunicators, for their service in 2015 during the North Brunswick Police Department’s Police Week ceremony on May 19.
Ptl. Nathaniel Nicholson received a Medal of Merit, one of the department’s highest honors. On Nov. 17, he responded to a fire on Willowbrook Drive. He heard a woman screaming for help, so he ran to her, finding her and her month-old baby trapped on the second floor balcony with heavy fire at their backs. He was able to coax the woman to drop her baby to him and then for her to jump as well. He was able to catch both, preventing serious injury.
Ptl. Daniel Passafiume received a Lifesaving Award. On July 19, he responded to a report of a 7-year-old who was drowning in the pool at the Colony Oaks Apartments. Upon arrival, he discovered that the lifeguard had just removed the child from the pool. He immediately administered CPR to the child, who was resuscitated.
Ptl. Jeffrey Buonocore, Ptl. Hana Lim, Ptl. Gennaro Scotto di Clemente and Ptl. Darren Carroll received Lifesaving Awards. On Dec. 10, they responded to a report of a man suffering a heart attack. They began CPR, used an automated external defibrillator (AED) and revived the man.
Ptl. Vernon Carmen, Ptl. Daniel Passafiume, Ptl. Joseph Grasso and Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator Timothy Walker received Lifesaving Awards. On June 1, they were dispatched to a report of a woman down who was not breathing. They performed CPR until EMS arrived. The woman was successfully revived.
Ptl. Robert Frangella and Ptl. Ryan Uzunis received Lifesaving Awards. On July 16, they were dispatched to a serious motor vehicle accident on Deerbrook Boulevard. Upon arrival, they found a car in a tree with the driver unresponsive and not breathing. They removed the driver from the vehicle, administered CPR and, using an AED., revived the driver.
Detective Paul Pappas received a Lifesaving Award. On June 12, while off duty and attending a family event, a guest suffered a heart attack. Pappas rendered first aid and found the man was pulseless and not breathing. He immediately began CPR until further medical assistance could arrive. The man was revived.
Detective Robert Powell, Ptl. David Incle and Fire Marshal Donald Salzmann received Lifesaving Awards. On May 7, multiple units were dispatched to Livingston Avenue at 14th Street for a report of a serious car accident. The first arriving units found that the female driver was unresponsive and no longer breathing. The driver was removed from the vehicle and CPR was started. The woman was resuscitated.
Ptl. Alex Obando and Ptl. Richard DeLaCruz received Lifesaving Awards. On Feb. 18, they were off duty when they were alerted to a man down nearby. They responded and found the man not breathing. They performed lifesaving measures until the arrival of EMS, and the man was revived.
Detective Erik Jacobsen and Ptl. John Hanrahan received Lifesaving Awards. On Jan. 22, they responded to a local gym for a reported drowning. They began lifesaving measures, including CPR and an AED, on the drowning victim. The victim was revived and transported to the hospital for further care.
Sgt. Michael Sauvigne received an Individual Citation. On Dec. 11, the Raritan Borough Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office were alerted to a double homicide in Raritan. The suspect was believed to be in North Brunswick. Sauvigne located the suspect’s vehicle and maintained surveillance until those agencies could arrive. The suspect was taken into custody and faced charges.
Lt. James Benanti, Lt. Joe Mazza, Detective Michael Sauvigne, Ptl. Dimitrios Katsoulis, Ptl. Richard DeLaCruz, Ptl. Timothy Riley and Ptl. James Karas received Letters of Commendation. On April 11, officers were dispatched to 692 Livingston Ave. for a shooting that had taken place. Two suspects were taken into custody.
Sgt. Gregory Gyumolcs, Ptl. Ling Tsui and Ptl. Erik Jacobsen received Unit Citations. On March 16, the officers were dispatched to Livingston Avenue and Cranbury Cross Road for a report of a man pointing a gun at pedestrians. The officers located and secured the suspect. A loaded handgun was recovered.
Ptl. Hana Lim received a Unit Citation. While on patrol in the Society Hill complex on Dec. 18, Lim observed an open front door during the early morning hours. Upon checking the residence, an unresponsive female was located inside the home. EMS delivered the woman to the hospital, preventing further issues.
Sgt. Michael McCormick and Ptl. Darren Carroll received Exceptional Service awards. While conducting a plainclothes assignment on July 11, they observed three suspicious people in the parking lot of a store. They investigated further and found one of the men was armed with a handgun. A search was conducted, revealing a quantity of drugs along with distribution materials.
Ptl. Kenneth Riley received a Letter of Commendation. On May 28, he responded to an activated burglar alarm at a Carlisle Road address. He observed a male suspect attempting to flee from a back door. He apprehended the suspect and recovered the stolen property.
Sgt. Gregory Gyumolcs, Detective Michael Braun, Ptl. Sean Gaither, Ptl. William Trammell, Ptl. John Strzykalski, Ptl. Craig Pormilli, Ptl. Christopher Trokovich, Ptl. James Karas, Ptl. Timothy Riley and Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator Meredith Speizer-Obando received Unit Citations. On May 11, multiple units were dispatched to an armed robbery that had just occurred within the Brunswick Shopping Center. Two male suspects had robbed the store at gunpoint and fled on foot. The information was transmitted to the responding units, which stopped the suspect’s vehicle. The suspects were taken into custody with the weapon and proceeds recovered.
Sgt. James Cox and Ptl. Gennaro Scott di Clemente received Unit Citations. While investigating a suspicious vehicle on Nov. 8, the officers came in contact with two occupants who were wanted on outstanding warrants. During the course of the investigation, a loaded handgun and a loaded sawed-off shotgun were recovered.
Detective Michael Braun and Detective Eric Geipel received Letters of Commendation. In October, they investigated a missing woman who may have been endangered. Following multiple leads, they obtained information that she was in New York. They traveled to Penn Station and along with Amtrak Police, located the woman and returned her to her family.
Detective Michael Sauvigne and Ptl. Sean Gaither received Letters of Commendation. On June 11, the Bridgewater Police Department developed information that a person involved in a shooting was staying in North Brunswick. They responded to the address and were able to coax the person into surrendering.
Now-retired Sgt. Thomas Vingara, Ptl. Darren Carroll, Ptl. Noriel Pena, Ptl. Hana Lim, Ptl. Gregory Marius, Ptl. Timothy Riley, Ptl. Sean Gaither and Ptl. Badawy Badawy received Letters of Commendation for using Narcan as an antidote to heroin and opiate overdoses.