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Detective Sergeant Darrin Russo
In early 2007, our area of New Jersey was plagued by a series of armed robberies at liquor stores and convenience stores. A crew of three men were seen on security cameras brandishing handguns, rifles, and a sawed-off shotgun during their brazen robberies. These violent criminals had struck in several towns in our area. They always wore face masks and no credible description was available from their numerous victims.
On the evening of February 7, 2007, Russo and his team were in plainclothes and in undercover vehicles. They spotted the suspects vehicle traveling on Route 27 in Franklin Township. The vehicle was pulling in and out of strip malls along the Route 27 corridor. Russo's team could see that the occupants of the vehicle were three adult males. They pulled into a strip mall and two of the males exited the vehicle. The two males entered the Buy-Rite Liquor store and the driver positioned the vehicle on a side road adjacent to the strip mall.
DSG Russo pulled his undercover police car into a parking space in front of the store. He could see into the window and saw that the cashier had his hands up in the air. He radioed to his team, "Move in! It's going down!" Russo ran in to stop the robbery. He could see the first suspect at the cash register with a mask on his face. He had the cashier by the neck and was demanding money. The team took down this suspect immediately. The second suspect was nowhere in sight. DSG Russo moved towards the store office where he could see movement through the office window. As he approached the office, the second suspect emerged through the office door brandishing a sawed-off shotgun. Russo shouted, "Police-Drop the gun!" Instead of dropping the gun the suspect turned and pointed it directly at Russo. DSG Russo had no choice. He fired one round from his duty firearm striking the suspect in the abdomen. The suspect fell to the ground, still clutching the saw-off shotgun. Both suspects inside the store were now in custody. Two other members of the team took down the suspect in the getaway vehicle outside.
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Officers Timothy Franks and Vittorio Spadea
Somerville Police Department
On March 4, 2007 at 4:37a.m., Officer Timothy Franks and Officer Vittorio Spadea responded to a motor vehicle accident on Third Street in Somerville. Officer Spadea was the first on the scene and advised that the vehicle was on fire and that there were people inside of the car. As Officer Franks arrived, he observed flames shooting out from the front and underneath the vehicle. Officer Spadea ran to the burning vehicle and removed a female from the passenger side of the vehicle. At this point the vehicle was engulfed in smoke and the officers could barely see the vehicle. Officer Franks went to the driver's side of the vehicle and saw a male subject in the driver's seat unconscious, at which time he dragged him from the burning vehicle to a safe area. A short time later this subject regained consciousness. The Somerville Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The Somerville Rescue Squad arrived and treated the subjects.
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Captain Allen Smith
On August 24, 2007, while off duty, career Captain Allen Smith responded to a reported structure fire with entrapment. The address we were dispatched to was about four blocks from where Allen lives, so he arrived only moments after dispatch. He was the first Fire Department or Police Department representative on scene and on his arrival, he reported to the incoming fire units and via portable radio that there was in fact a working structure fire and that people were standing on the porch roof. Simultaneously, a neighbor had just brought over a ladder to assist the individuals off the roof. In doing so, one of the occupants told him that someone was still inside. At that point, although still in civilian clothing and without wearing any personal protective clothing or Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, Captain Smith ascended the ladder and climbed in the window of the smoke filled room on the 2nd floor. He then encountered a lot of heat and extremely limited visibility due to the large fire condition on the first floor directly below him. He soon located an elderly woman who was scared and disoriented in the same room, so he grabbed her and escorted her to the window. He assisted her out onto the porch roof and then exited himself, only to learn from the original occupants that there was still one more person inside.
He then entered the same window and encountered an even greater heat and smoke condition. Using his skills, he attempted as best as possible to search the room and then to go toward the hallway to continue his search. Now forced to the floor because of the intense heat and smoke, he was about to re-exit the 2nd floor when he barely noticed a flickering light near the center, rear area of the second floor, With only the hand of the person who was sitting on the floor visible, he grabbed at the man to try and lead him out. At that point, the man hit him with the flashlight, likely because he was scared and disoriented. Allen then grabbed him and pulled him across the floor to the window. Barely able to breathe and with the heat so intense, he was about to push the man out of the window when a police officer assisted him in getting the man out.
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Chief Sean Whelan and Officer Brian Smith
Greenbrook Police Department
On July 23, 2007 at 12:14 p.m. the Green Brook Police Department received a call from the Somerset County 911 center that an armed bank robbery just occurred at the Commerce Bank located at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Route 22, Green Brook, New Jersey.
The Somerset County 911 center was able to supply a vehicle description and direction of travel from the witness who was on his cell phone following the suspect of the bank robbery.
An emergency broadcast was placed to all surrounding towns advising of the alert at which time Chief Whelan traveling south on Somerset Street observed the suspects vehicle, Chief Whelan notified the Watchung Police that he had located the suspect vehicle at which time the vehicle made and abrupt u-turn and proceeded west on Route 22.
Officer Brian Smith responded to Chief Whelan's location and initiated a pursuit of the suspects vehicle back into Green Brook. The vehicle exited Route 22 on to Rock Avenue then onto Longview Drive where the suspect drove into a driveway and fled his vehicle on foot.
Chief Whelan and Officer Smith without regard for their personal safety pursued the armed suspect on foot through a wooded area and were able to capture him without injury to the officers or the general public.
The suspect bank robber pleaded guilty on December 14, 2007 and was sentenced to 14 years in the state prison.
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RECOGNITION AWARD
Sheriffs Officer Scott Jepsen
In the evening of October 20, 2007 while off-duty, Sheriff's Officer Scott Jepsen came upon a serious two-car collision on Liberty Corner Road in Far Hills, Officer Jepsen immediately entered the damaged vehicle and stabilized the driver, who had sustained critical life threatening injuries, while directing the other individuals involved in the accident what needed to be done. Mr. Villani, the driver, had severe injuries to his face and damaged his airway in the collision. Officer. Jepsen's actions kept Mr. Villani's airway open and prevented him from aspirating blood and choking until he was intubated by advance life support that was administered by a responding paramedic from Somerset Medical Center
Mr. Villani was quickly extracted from the crashed vehicle and transported by Far Hills/Bedminster's Rescue Squad to an emergency landing zone that was set up in the Far Hills Fair Grounds. Mr. Villani received treatment as he was flown in the Penn Star 3 helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson Trauma Center.
The actions of Sheriff's Officer Jepsen together with the actions of all involved are a credit to Somerset County Emergency Services. Somerset County Sheriff's Office, the Far Hills Police, Far Hills/Bedminster Fire Department, Far Hills/Bedminster Rescue Squad, Somerset Medical Center Paramedics, Peapack-Gladstone Fire Department, Somerset County OEM, Penn Star and Robert Wood Johnson Trauma Center worked together to save this young man's life.
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