April 12, 2006                          

Troopers from Troop E Receive Service Awards

State Police Troopers from Troop E in Montville received awards for service during a ceremony Wednesday, April 12, at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy in Meriden.

Twice a year, the Connecticut State Police honors Troopers who demonstrated bravery and outstanding service in the line of duty.  The ceremony also honors men and women serving in local and federal law enforcement agencies and those serving as first responders.  Award winners received medals and certificates from Department of Public Safety Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle and Governor M. Jodi Rell.

Awards are presented in four categories:

Ø      The Meritorious Service Medal is awarded to any person who renders service with a high degree of alertness, perseverance and superior judgment in the performance of a difficult task resulting in the protection of life, recovery of property, the prevention of – or solving of – a major crime or the apprehension of an armed or dangerous person.

Ø      The Lifesaving Award is presented to any person who saves a human life or makes a valiant attempt to save a life.

Ø      The Outstanding Service Award is given to any person who successfully performs an extreme, complex or difficult investigation. The person also may demonstrate exceptional skill or ingenuity in the apprehension of a wanted person, provide outstanding service to the public and or continuously achieves excellence in performance of duties over an extended period of time.

Ø      The Unit Citation is awarded to members of a department, a command or group who combine their resources to achieve success in an investigation or event. The citation recognizes exceptional collective efforts.

Troop E barracks of the Connecticut State Police, located in Montville, is proud have several individual award winners from the troop.   

Trooper First Class David Hayes. Last December, a two-vehicle accident was reported in Lisbon.  Trooper Hayes was first to arrive on scene and discovered that the male operator of one of the vehicles was trapped inside his car.  The man’s left leg was seriously injured, which led to massive arterial bleeding.  Trooper Hayes provided emergency care by reaching inside the damaged vehicle and wrapping the operator’s leg.  He applied direct pressure to control the heavy bleeding until relieved by responding EMS personnel.  The victim operator survived and continues to recover from his injuries.  Trooper Hayes was awarded a Lifesaving Medal.

Trooper First Class George Muriel and Trooper First Class David Hayes. In October of 2005, Troopers Muriel and Hayes were dispatched to Pachaug Pond in Griswold for a report of a vehicle that had driven off the boat ramp and into the water.  The Troopers arrived at the scene, secured their gun belts and boots and entered the cold water.  They made repeated dives for twenty minutes until they located the submerged vehicle seventy-five feet out and twelve feet under the water.  After several physical attempts by the troopers, they freed the driver, pulled him to the surface and brought him to shore where he was attended to by medical personnel.  The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The Troopers each received a Lifesaving Medal.

Trooper Michael Browning, Trooper Randy Silvestri, Trooper Todd Harbeck. The troopers were dispatched to a residence in the Town of Lisbon in January 2005 for a report of a man with a gun threatening a female in the driveway.  Upon arrival, Troopers observed a murder in progress as the assailant had his weapon pointed at the female victim and was shooting at her as she lay defenseless on the ground.  Trooper Harbeck ordered the assailant to drop the weapon and, when the assailant continued firing at the victim, Trooper Harbeck discharged his weapon at him. During this armed encounter, the suspect turned his gun on himself and took his own life.  Trooper Harbeck, along with Troopers Silvestri and Browning, immediately commenced emergency first aid and CPR on the female victim.  Despite the life saving efforts that continued for more than twenty minutes, the female victim was transported to an area trauma center where she later succumbed to her injuries.  Trooper Harbeck received a medal for Meritorious Service; Troopers Silvestri and Browning received medals for Lifesaving.

Sergeant Todd Lynch & Trooper First Class Stowell Burnham of the Connecticut State Police and Corporal David Lachapelle & Officer Steven Johnson of the Westerly (R.I.) Police Dept.  In August of 2004, an inmate escaped from the York Correctional Center in Niantic. Sgt. Lynch and Trooper Burnham developed information revealing that the fugitive was in the Westerly, Rhode Island area.  Sgt. Lynch and Trooper Burnham traveled to Westerly and were assisted by Corporal David Lachapelle and Officer Steven Johnson, along with K-9 Deke, of the Westerly Police Department.  Additional information determined that the fugitive was hiding in a shack in the woods in Westerly.  The Troopers and Officers went to this area and located the fugitive hiding in the shack, armed with a rifle.  After a brief foot pursuit and struggle, the fugitive was taken into custody.  The two Troopers and two Officers were presented with medals for Outstanding Service.

Trooper First Class George Muriel and Trooper First Class James Collins. Early this year, Detectives and Troopers, along with members of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, began an arson investigation into a fire at the old Griswold Town Hall in Jewett City.  The fire damage was estimated at more than $2 million.  Three days after the fire, Troopers Muriel and Collins developed anonymous information that the fire had been started by two teenagers.  Troopers Muriel and Collins commenced a tenacious investigation and within three hours, they identified the two suspects and obtained written confessions from them.  The teenagers admitted to intentionally setting the blaze, which ultimately destroyed the structure.  As a direct result of the immediate efforts of Troopers Muriel and Collins, warrants were secured and the two suspects were arrested for burglary and arson.  The Troopers received medals for Outstanding Service.

Trooper Mark Boulanger.  In October of 2005, Troop E received a 911 call from Voluntown reporting that a male suspect, armed with a pistol, had smashed a window.  The suspect allegedly entered a residence and waved the pistol around in a threatening manner.  Troopers were immediately dispatched and obtained a description of the suspect who had fled the scene.  Trooper Boulanger observed the suspect’s vehicle on Route 165 as he responded to the residence.  Trooper Boulanger conducted a felony motor vehicle stop and took the suspect into custody after a brief physical altercation.  A loaded semi-automatic pistol was located in the vehicle within immediate reach of the suspect.  Subsequent investigation revealed that the accused also was wanted on two outstanding warrants.  Trooper Boulanger received an award for Meritorious Service.

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