This Is Why They're Montville’s Finest

Over the past 10 years, a number of Montville Police Officers have gone well above and beyond the call of duty. They’ve performed heroic acts that saved lives, disarmed dangerous suspects, and gone to extraordinary lengths to solve crimes. Few of them have been publicly recognized for it, however.

When Sgt. Troy Gelinas joined the force this year, he decided to rectify that by organizing an award ceremony to honor the department’s many fine members, current and past, for feats of heroism and outstanding dedication.

“The town hasn’t had an awards ceremony in several years. Tonight’s date back to 2000,” Gelinas said by way of introduction to the event, which was held at Montville High School auditorium last night.

Awards were presented in five categories: The Life Saving Award, the Outstanding Service Award, the Meritorious Service Award, the Bravery Award, and the Appreciation for Military Service Award.

Lt. Leonard Bunnell also presented retired police officer Dennis Monahan, Sr., and Paul Morris, a taxi driver, with Certificates of Appreciation for going beyond what is expected to help the Montville Police Department.

Retired Lt. Dennis Monahan, Sr., literally wrote the rulebook for Montville’s police department. Thanks to his painstaking effort, the Montville Police Department has professional rules and regulations that ensure everyone is on the same page.

“The town owes a lot to retired Lt. Dennis Monahan,” said Bunnell. “He wrote the first manual that set the standard for all officers to follow. Lt. Dennis Monahan taught me a lot of things but the most important was responsibility first, authority second. We would not be where we are today if not for his efforts.”

Bunnell also thanked cab driver Paul Morris for helping him get out of a tight spot during what should have been a routine traffic stop on March 18, 2010. Bunnell was alone on patrol when a young man he had pulled over decided to resist arrest. Morris, who happened to be passing in his cab, saw Bunnell grappling with the man and pulled over to help.

“I can’t tell you what a relief it was to see him,” Bunnell said, adding that Morris’s naturally commanding presence and booming voice was all it took to help him get the situation under control. “Were it not for Mr. Morris, it’s conceivable it would have been a real safety concern for me and for the town, and I want to thank you, sir!”

Here’s a list of everyone who was honored last night. They surely earned their long overdue rewards!

Recipients of the Life Saving Award

Presented to those who saved someone’s life or who make “a valiant and caring effort to do so.”

Master Patrol Officer Robin Salvatore, who risked her own life to pull a car accident victim from the twisted wreckage of a burning vehicle on July 20, 2000. Salvatore sustained burns herself but she saved the driver.

Dispatcher John Leonard, Detective David Radford, Master Patrol Officer Karen Moorehead, Officer Joseph Miller, for locating a hearing-impaired accident victim who called 911 on April 13, 2004, but didn’t know where she was. Leonard used cell phone towers to hone in on her position and officers arrived in time to resuscitate her and save her life.

Master Patrol Officer Greg Jacobson, Det. David Radford, Master Patrol Officer Karen Moorehead, Officer Joseph Miller, Master Patrol Officer Dennis Monahan Jr. (posthumously), who on January 19, 2006, evacuated 24 apartments in a complex threatened by a fire, getting all occupants (both people and pets) to safety.

Sergeant Dennis Mathers, Det. David Radford, Officer Ryan Spring, and Officer Joseph Miller, who on February 9, 2006, searched the woods for an elderly woman who had fallen from her horse, which returned riderless to a stable in Oakdale. Police found her in a state of hypothermia but they found her in time to save her.

Sergeant Matthew Northrop, Master Patrol Officer Karen Moorehead, Master Patrol Officer Rodney McCauley, and Officer Robert Sundman, who on October 21, 2006, responded to calls regarding a domestic disturbance at a residence on Route 163 to find a distraught mother screaming because her baby had stopped breathing. Officers managed to calm the mother and performed CPR to save the baby’s life.

Sergeant Matthew Stone and Officer Bruce Rockwell, who on February 4, 2007, who upon finding an abandoned vehicle on East Lake Road, checked to see who owned the car and learned that the owner had not returned home that night. The officers called for K9 units, scouring the woods until they found the man, who had fallen into an icy swamp and was suffering from hypothermia. One of the officers gave the man his coat and they activated the cruiser’s siren and used the sound to guide them back to the road. They could have merely reported an abandoned vehicle and moved on. Instead, they took the time to investigate and saved a man from certain death.

Master Patrol Officer Rodney McCauley, who on August 12, 2007, responded to a 911 call on Kitamaug Road to find a man lying unconscious. The paramedic, who arrived alone at the scene, asked the officer to help with CPR and determined that the man needed to be transported immediately to hospital. McCauley volunteered to drive the ambulance so the EMS could continue administering to the man.

Master Patrol Officer Mark Manley, Officer Gary Galdenzi, and Officer Addison Saffioti, who were called to a home on Broadway on March 31, 2009 by a distraught wife who said her husband was suicidal and had barricaded himself in the basement. When one of the officers looked through the basement window, he saw the man hanging from a rope. The officers broke in through the window and held the man up to loosen the tension so they could cut him down. They then performed CPR and were able to reestablish a pulse and respiration.

Sergeant Dennis Mathers and Master Patrol Officer Greg Jacobson, who on December 23, 2009, went searching for a man who was lost in a swamp off Fire Street. They found the man, who had fallen through the ice of the frozen swamp, in a state of hypothermia but were able to save him.

Officer Travis Sumpf and Officer Joseph Miller, who on January 22, 2010, arrived at a home on Maple Avenue to find a man unconscious. The officers quickly determined he needed CPR but EMS was responding from the other side of town. They worked on resuscitating the man for about 10 minutes until EMS arrived, by which time they had established a faint pulse.

Officer Michael Pierce, who responded to a 911 call on February 12, 2010, from a hysterical mother whose four-year-old child was not breathing. Pierce managed to calm the mother enough to get vital information and then he enlisted the help of a bystander to assist him as he applied CPR.

Recipients of the Outstanding Service Award

Presented to officers who performed an extremely complex or difficult investigation or who demonstrated exceptional skill or ingenuity to catch a wanted person, or who continuously achieved excellence in the performance of duties over an extended period of time.  

Officer Bruce Rockwell and Master Patrol Officer Karen Moorehead, for their investigation into an assault by a teacher at Montville High School in December 2008

Detective David Radford, for his in-depth investigation of a case of child abuse in 2009 which took him to Maine and Rhode Island. Although the children’s caregivers had been investigated by other states, they weren’t caught until they moved to Montville. His extensive and complex investigation ultimately rescued four children from intolerable cruelty.

Sergeant Earnest Greenwood, who after noticing an increasing number of calls relating to individuals with behavioral problems, took it upon himself to seek out additional training and connect with other agencies to learn how to deal with individuals suffering from mental illness. In 2009, he created Montville Police Department’s first Crisis Intervention Team.

The Meritorious Service Award

Presented to members of the force who demonstrated a “high degree of alertness, perseverance, and superior judgment” in difficult or complicated circumstances to save a life, recover property, prevent or solve a crime, or to catch an armed and dangerous person.

Master Patrol Officer Rodney McCauley and Master Patrol Officer Karen Moorehead, for successfully apprehending a suspect following a robbery at McDonalds on April 26, 2004.

Detective Thomas Occhialini and Master Patrol Officer Greg Jacobson, for apprehending fleeing suspects following the May 14, 2004 robbery of Chelsea Groton Bank in Salem.

Master Patrol Officer Greg Jacobson and Master Patrol Officer Mark Manley, for catching a bank robber on Route 85 on October 20, 2006.

Sergeant Matthew Stone, Sergeant Matthew Northrop, Sergeant Dennis Mathers, Master Patrol Officer Greg Jacobson, and Officer Bruce Rockwell, for the speedy arrest of three armed gang members who were on their way to kill a man on November 10, 2007.

Sergeant Dennis Mathers and Officer Joseph Miller, for apprehending a suspect who rammed police cars while in pursuit on March 15, 2008.

Detective Thomas Occhialini, Officer Robert Sundman, and Officer Joseph Miller, for catching the person responsible for robbing the gas station at Stop & Shop on August 12, 2008.

The Bravery Award

Presented to officers for demonstrating exceptional heroism in a life-threatening situation

Master Patrol Officer Rodney McCauley and Master Patrol Officer Greg Jacobson, who on February 10, 2008, during the course of trying to arrest a suspect wanted for evading the scene of an accident, forced their way into a bathroom in which he was hiding to discover he was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. With no time to draw their own weapons, the officers rushed the man, safely disarming him.  

Appreciation for Military Service Award   

In recognition of the bravery displayed and sacrifices made by the many members of Montville Police Department who served this country as members of the armed forces.

Sergeant Dennis Mathers (Navy)

Sergeant Matthew Stone (Army)

Master Patrol Officer Mark Manley (Navy)

Master Patrol Officer Rodney McCauley (Army)

Officer Garrett Boehm (Coast Guard)

Officer Michael Zella (Coast Guard)

Officer Joseph Kondash (Army)

Officers of the Year

Each year the Elks Club in New London asks area police departments to nominate an officer whose service has been outstanding. In the past few years, the following officers have been honored.

Sergeant Matthew Stone

Master Patrol Officer Robin Salvatore

Detective David Radford

Officer Joseph Miller

Officer David Rowley

Officer Bruce Rockwell

Officer Gary Galdenzi

Officer Addison Saffioti    

We salute you all!