Latest news with #OfficeroftheYear
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Several West Palm Beach officers in deadly Boynton chase had discipline history, records show
Nearly all of the seven former West Palm Beach Police officers who are facing charges for their role in a July 2024 chase that resulted in the deaths of a mother and her daughter in Boynton Beach had earned positive reviews for their police work. One was Officer of the Year in 2022. Another was praised for being someone who supervisors trusted. A third was described as a calm leader in an evaluation just weeks after the chase that would lead to his termination, according to personnel records obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. But all seven officers returned to their jobs on the night of July 30, 2024, as if the high-speed chase and the deadly crash hadn't happened, according to a probable cause affidavit, including one who drove past the wreckage on the way back to West Palm Beach. The officers who were terminated in June are: Austin B. Danielovich, 34; Pierre F. Etienne, 33; Christopher C. Rekdahl, 38; Michael E. Borgen, 32; William L. Loayza, 36; Brandan C. Stedfelt, 31; and Darien J. Thomas, 31. They have pleaded not guilty to the different charges they are facing. About 8 p.m. July 30, 2024, three West Palm Beach Police cars were chasing Neoni Copeland, driving a 2022 Kia Stinger. Copeland hit the passenger's side of a 2017 Toyota Corolla in the 4300 block of North Congress Avenue in Boynton Beach, causing 'massive blunt force injuries' to Marcia Pochette, 57, and the driver Jenice Woods, 27, who was pregnant, according to a probable cause affidavit. The mother and daughter were trapped in their car when Boynton Beach Police officers arrived just minutes later. Copeland had already ran away, and the West Palm Beach officers immediately returned to their city, the affidavit said. 'The investigation revealed none of the seven officers exited their vehicle to check on the crash victims (or stop Copeland). None of the seven officers used a radio or a phone to call EMS for the victims. None of the officers remained at the scene to provide details to Boynton Beach investigators. The seven officers returned to their jurisdiction and seemed to go about their normal duties, though failing to tell a supervisor about what happened,' the affidavit said. Danielovich, Etienne and Rekdahl each face two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and one count of official misconduct. Loayza, Borgen, Stedfelt and Thomas each face one count of official misconduct. Etienne, who was the driver of one unmarked car, had been disciplined for a previous pursuit where he drove against traffic on Interstate 95. Rekdahl, another driver in the pursuit, and Thomas, one of Rekdahl's passengers, were both previously disciplined for at-fault, on-duty crashes. Danielovich, the third driver in the pursuit, was previously disciplined for a body-worn camera violation, their personnel files show. Hired in 2015, Rekdahl was one of five officers involved in the crash who were assigned to the GHOST unit, the Gang and Habitual Offender Suppression Team. He joined the specialty unit in October 2022 and was previously an officer assigned to the entertainment district, his personnel records show. Rekdahl's discipline history increased from written reprimands for at-fault, on-duty crashes in 2015 and 2019 to an 8-hour suspension in May 2023. The suspension notice said the 2023 crash was his third preventable crash within a year. 7 West Palm Beach police officers arrested months after fatal pursuit in Boynton Beach In his 2016 annual review, he was complimented for being an exemplary officer who gave the police department a good reputation within and with the public and for being 'trusted by his supervisors to handle almost any situation with limited or no supervision.' By the next year, he was awarded with two Department Citation Medals for his role at the SunFest music festival and a 'plain clothes operation' on Clematis Street. He also received that year a Certificate of Commendation and was nominated for Officer of the Quarter. He received two Certificates of Commendation in 2018 while working the entertainment district. Thomas, a passenger in Rekdahl's truck, was hired in 2017 and joined the GHOST unit in 2023. He received a written reprimand in 2020 for an at-fault crash where he failed to yield to the right-of-way, his personnel records show. That same year, he was commended for his involvement in four arrests made by the burglary team. He interned at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office before applying to the police department. Etienne was hired in 2017 and became a GHOST unit detective in 2020. He received a written reprimand in 2018 for a pursuit of a stolen car where he and multiple other patrol officers drove against traffic on Interstate 95, according to his personnel records. In 2015, he resigned from Palm Beach Gardens Police to avoid termination because he was not going to pass the Field Training Program, according to his West Palm Beach Police application and background investigation. The training officers 'were very concerned' during the final part of Etienne's training related to officer safety and 'inability to work under pressure,' the records show. A training officer 'was forced to intervene multiple times to ensure proper procedure and safety,' Etienne's background investigation report said. The report does not provide further details. Years later in several annual reviews, Etienne was lauded for juggling his responsibilities on the specialty unit with monitoring frequent juvenile offenders, for being 'always cool under pressure' and for rarely needing help from his supervisors. 'He has proven himself on many occasions that he can work well under pressure and during high stress situations,' a supervisor wrote in his 2022 review. Loayza was hired in 2020 and had been appointed to the GHOST unit only a few months before the crash, his personnel records show. While applying to the police department in 2019, a background investigator found Loayza had 'an unusual amount of traffic citations and interactions with the police,' the investigator wrote in his report. Loayza had at least 53 traffic citations in Palm Beach County at the time. His license was suspended for a year in 2007, his records show. Loayza said during his polygraph test that he was arrested once for concealed carrying brass knuckles and once for disorderly conduct, according to his personnel file. He was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence in 2007, court records show. Prosecutors later dropped the case. The background investigator found six PBSO reports involving Loayza, including three domestic disputes where he was not the subject. In his first interim evaluation as a new officer, Loayza was acknowledged for handling high-stress calls in the city's northern areas well and for being eager to learn. By 2024, he had been nominated and awarded multiple times Officer of the Quarter. At a court hearing on Monday, Loayza's attorney sought to have his charges dismissed, arguing the former officer's actions do not constitute a crime under state statute, even if they were unethical. But Judge Howard Coates rejected the attempt. Danielovich was hired in 2021 and previously worked for the Anne Arundel County Police Department in Maryland beginning in 2016. He had no discipline history at his previous job aside from verbal counseling for missing a court date. He received a written reprimand in 2023 for a body-worn camera violation after he was involved in three use-of-force events, his records show. The reprimand noted he had previously activated his camera late on four different dates in 2022 and 2023 and a 'previous lack of tactical communication' on two other dates in 2022. After the reprimand, Danielovich was ordered to have every use-of-force event he was involved in reviewed by a lieutenant to ensure his camera was turned on timely, that he used proper de-escalation techniques and that 'actions are accurately reflected in the narrative' of reports, the notice of discipline said. Three weeks after the crash, Danielovich, assigned to the Bike Unit and a junior member of the SWAT team, received a glowing review annual review. The evaluation did not mention the crash or the fact that he had been placed on administrative leave on Aug. 1, the personnel records show. West Palm Beach Police officers under investigation after deadly crash in Boynton 'His passion for police work is recognized by his peers and serves as encouragement to keep others on task even when morale is low. Ofc. Danielovich has established himself as someone worthy of respect in the community not only for his fair and honest treatment but his ability to communicate and make people smile,' his supervisor wrote in his August 2024 review. Stedfelt and Borgen both wrote in their applications that they had been 'let go' from Fort Lauderdale Police while cadets in the police academy, their personnel records show. Stedfelt finished his one-year probationary period as a new officer five months before the crash. He was terminated by Fort Lauderdale Police in 2021 after he received a traffic ticket for speeding while in the academy, which was eventually thrown out by a judge, according to a background investigator's report. He later worked at the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. Borgen was hired in 2019 and had been appointed to the GHOST unit at the end of 2023. He was honored as Officer of the Year in 2022. While at the Fort Lauderdale Police academy in 2018, he was terminated after he failed a physical fitness test. Sun Sentinel staff writer Shira Moolten contributed to this report.
Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville News Digest: DuPage forest preserve district police officer wins state honor; BrightSide Theatre announces upcoming 2025-26 season
Kim Eversole, a police officer for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, has been named a 2025 Illinois Juvenile Officers Association Officer of the Year. Eversole is a 14-year veteran of the department and is its community engagement coordinator. She is involved with several efforts to connect youth with nature and law enforcement, a news release from the forest preserve district said. Among her outreach events last year included four free 'Cops and Bobbers' fishing programs held at DuPage County forest preserves. Eversole also attended numerous summer camps and community programs, including like National Night Out, which reinforces the idea that law enforcement officers are approachable, the release said. In December, she organized 'Shop With a Cop,' a program that gives kids a holiday shopping trip to pick out items from their wish list while spending meaningful time with an officer. Eversole is also a field training officer and responds to calls as a Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team drone operator in addition to her regular patrol duties. She previously led the department's volunteer Trail Watch program. BrightSide Theatre, a professional theater company based in Naperville, will open its 14th season in October with 'The Rocky Horror Show.' The musical, which was adapted into the film 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' will be presented from Oct. 24 to Nov. 9 at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St. From Jan. 9 to 18, BrightSide will perform 'Phantom in Concert' at the Madden Theatre, 171 Chicago Ave. It will be followed by 'Private Lives' from April 10-26 and 'The Producers' from June 12-28. Both productions will be at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall. Tickets are $37 for adults and $32 for students and seniors. Season subscriptions and individual show tickets can be purchased starting July 1 online at or by calling 630-447-8497. The BrightSide Youth Theatre Project will also perform condensed versions of hit musicals tailored for young performers and audiences. 'The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition' will be presented Oct. 25-Nov. 2 at the Theater at Meiley-Swallow Hall and 'Legally Blonde the Musical Jr.' will be performed Feb. 20-28 at the Yellow Box Theatre, 1635 Emerson Lane. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and will be on sale beginning in September and January before the shows. Empty camping-sized, 1-pound propane tanks can be recycled for free if dropped off at the Blackwell Forest Preserve Campground, near Butterfield and Winfield roads in Warrenville, just past the gate and east of the campground office building. The gates are closed during non-camping hours, but patrons can park in the north shelter lot and walk to the recycling crate when the Blackwell preserve is open, officials said. Blackwell is open one hour after sunrise and closes one hour after sunset. The program is offered through a partnership with the county, the forest preserve district and Flat Can Recycling. Four Naperville restaurants have been recognized for their exceptional wine programs and pairing experiences by Wine Spectator. The magazine recently named its 2025 honorees, which includes Award of Excellence winners Sullivan's Steakhouse, 244 S. Main St.; Ramsay's Kitchen, 39 W. Jefferson Ave.; Fogo de Chao, 1824 Abriter Court; and Morton's The Steakhouse, 1751 Freedom Drive. This year, Sullivan's expanded its offerings with wine-pairing dinners that feature educational components, multicourse menus and exclusive access to limited-edition bottles, according to a news release from the Dividend Restaurant Group, whose brands include Sullivan's and Eddie Merlot's steakhouse. Eddie Merlot's Warrenville and Burr Ridge locations were also recognized by Wine Spectator. Wine Spectator selected more than 3,800 restaurants as award-winners this year, including restaurants in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, its website said. The awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers, the website said. Restaurants named to its Award of Excellence category typically offer at least 90 selections of wine. Its highest honor, given to fewer than 100 restaurants, typically feature more than 1,000 selections of wines and the highest level of wine service.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
St. Paul police name detective, officer, employee of the year
St. Paul's police chief on Thursday named a homicide investigator as Detective of the Year and a patrol officer who regularly recovers firearms and large amounts of drugs as Officer of the Year. Sgt. Jennifer O'Donnell, a St. Paul officer of more than 30 years who works in the homicide/robbery unit, was the primary investigator on 156 homicides, robberies and aggravated assaults last year and assisted on more, according to her commendation. She was the primary investigator in the fatal shooting of Nicholas Sletten, 42, in the North End in October. Murder charges were filed in January. 'This was a complex investigation that required ongoing intensive work,' said O'Donnell's commendation, which described her and her colleagues as working 'tirelessly' on the case. Chief Axel Henry named Abdirahman Dahir as 2024 Officer of the Year. He grew up in St. Paul, became a Police Explorer at age 14, and later a St. Paul parking enforcement officer before he joined the department's police academy in 2021. A patrol officer in the Western District, Dahir recovered 22 handguns, of which 3 were stolen and one a 'ghost gun,' and several thousand fentanyl pills during 18 stops last year that were either traffic or investigative, his commendation said, adding that last year 'was not an anomaly.' Dahir recovered 30 handguns the year before. Richard Bertholf, who works in the police Video Management Unit, was recognized as Professional Employee of the Year. When Andre L. Mitchell, 26, was shot and killed while two children were in his backseat in November, Bertholf 'immediately responded to multiple urgent requests to gather nearby video that may have captured the shooting,' his commendation said. He found videos that showed four people shooting at Mitchell and two suspect vehicles, and gathered information about suspects. Four people have been charged in Mitchell's murder. Don't pay for traffic tickets over text: DPS warns of scam messages Who's in charge? CDC's leadership 'crisis' apparent amid new COVID-19 vaccine guidance DOC commissioner asks for patience from Stillwater prison families, dismisses idea of reopening Appleton prison Measles vaccination rates drop after COVID-19 pandemic in counties across the US 40 St. Paul street lights stripped of copper wiring, though reports are down overall
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cherokee County officers celebrated for outstanding service
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. — Cherokee County law enforcement are recognized for the services they provide to their respective communities. The annual Cherokee County Law Enforcement Awards Banquet took place Thursday night (5/15) at Bethel Church in Baxter Springs. Agencies represented were Columbus, Galena, Baxter Springs, and the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. The event, which includes dinner and the awards ceremony, allows each agency to recognize those who go above and beyond the call of duty. Sheriff Brian Henderson made this an annual event in 2023, when he was chief of police in Baxter Springs. 'It's not just administration picking somebody, it's their peers that are selecting them and saying, 'hey, this person deserves it.' And that's important to us,' said Sheriff Henderson. 'You look back at your accomplishments and just to know that you're your friends that you work with every day have recognized your efforts that you're out there doing, because a lot of times, that stuff goes unnoticed, and so it's a good opportunity for them to see that they're appreciated,' said Galena Police Chief, Chad Allison. Each agency gave out various awards Thursday. Those included Officer of the Year, Deputy of the Year, and a life-saving award. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Montgomery named Law Officer of the Year
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways May 7—LIMA — Lima Police Investigator Aaron Montgomery said it felt like a big thank you to be named the Lima Exchange Club's Jack Somerville Law Officer of the Year on Wednesday afternoon. The club recognized Montgomery for his work on multiple task forces and for recently helping to save an unconscious elderly woman at Bowling Green State University's graduation ceremony. "The limelight is an enjoyable thing, and I appreciate it because it means a lot to me, but I almost don't want it on me," Montgomery said. "We're a family of law enforcement and my children, wife, mom and dad have endured a lot for the last 17 years including long shifts." The club also held a remembrance ceremony in which LPD Chief James Baker shared a message encouraging the audience to remember the past. "Remembering your past is foundational to your future," Baker said. "Sometimes when you get into the day-to-day, you forget. You ask why you stood before a judge and take an oath toward your life, and it's good to remember." Montgomery took Baker's words to heart, reflecting on his time in law enforcement. "It was something I was always intrigued by, along with the physical and mental aspects," he said. "I've always enjoyed that I can carry on a conversation with anybody. I've always had the ability to be involved with different walks of life." Montgomery is a graduate of Bluffton High School and Rhodes State College and has served with LPD since 2008. A certified K9 trainer, Montgomery has also served on the SWAT team, the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force and as a field training officer. The Exchange Club also accepted a nomination from Allen County Sheriff's Deputy Damian Tibbs. Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399. Featured Local Savings
