Police chiefs honor officers, citizens
KINGSTON, N.Y. » The Police Chiefs Association of Ulster County on Wednesday honored more than a dozen men, women and agencies who performed outstanding police work, put themselves in harm’s way to help others or provided support to law-enforcement personnel.
Following is a list of the award recipients, with summaries of the actions for which they were honored. The information is from state police Zone Secretary Anne Hass, other law-enforcement officials, court records, and Freeman files and interviews.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: HEROISM State Trooper Jennifer Johnson
While off duty at her home in the town of Esopus on Jan. 9, 2017, Johnson saw a large amount of smoke in the air outside. She left her house to investigate, and while looking around the area, saw a shed and tow-behind camping trailer on fire in the backyard of a residence on Valley Road.
Johnson ran to the area and found a woman was trapped inside the trailer. Both doors of the trailer were blocked by fire, and the woman could not get out.
Despite her lack of protective gear and the presence of three 100-pound propane tanks close to the fire, Johnson removed a metal-framed window from the trailer and helped the woman and three dogs escape from the structure. She then helped evacuate the woman’s elderly mother from the neighboring residence due to the fire’s close proximity.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: INVESTIGATION Kingston Police Officer Edward Shuman
On Nov. 29, 2017, members of the Kingston Police Department were tasked with investigating the death of Anthony Garro Jr., whose body was found under a bridge on Elmendorf Street, just off Broadway, in Midtown Kingston. The location is known to the department and is frequented by homeless people, prostitutes and substance abusers, officials said. They said it also is known as a place to dump trash.
Investigators searched the trash-laden area for a lead and, after an hour or two, they received a break. While conducting a canvass for video footage, Shuman saw a person outside a deli with what appeared to be blood all over his clothes and shoes. Shuman approached the person and asked about the blood.
The person, later identified as Seth Lyons, 20, of Ulster Park, claimed he was assaulted the evening before. After numerous hours of interviewing, though, it was gleaned that Lyons killed Garro, 49, of Kingston.
Lyons told police he beat Garro to death using his fists, rocks, a bottle, a tree stump and his foot because he believed Garro had stolen his cell phone, according to Ulster County Court documents about the case. He pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder Dec. 15 in Ulster County Court.
The case is still pending.
During 2017, members of the Rosendale Police Department and the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team, or URGENT, worked together to stem the transportation of drugs within Ulster County.
As a result of their efforts, they have developed a working relationship that has resulted in the seizures of numerous illegal drugs, more than $40,000 in cash and three vehicles, and the filing of various criminal charges. All that originated from simple vehicle-andtraffic stops by the Rosendale police and further investigation with the assistance of URGENT.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: TEAM INVESTIGATION Ellenville Police Department, Ulster County district attorney’s Special Victim’s Unit, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, state police Forensic Investigation Unit
Early in the morning of June 23, 2017, Ellenville police responded to a call reporting a forcible rape and burglary in the village. Police discovered a 40-yearold woman had been sleeping in her bedroom with her two young daughters when she was woken by a man who pinned her down in her bed, punched her and forcibly raped her.
One of the victim’s daughters woke up, heard the incident and screamed. The man, later identified as Jean Carlos Colon, ran out of the house and fled in an unknown direction.
An investigation found Colon had pushed an air conditioner out of a window and entered the residence. He also broke a smaller window and cut himself trying to get inside.
Colon was quickly identified and, within two hours, was arrested at a bus stop on Canal Street in Ellenville.
Colon, 23, of 5 Glass St., Ellenville, pleaded guilty Nov. 9 in Ulster County Court to felony rape in satisfaction of a two-count indictment against him that had included a felony burglary charge. He was sentenced Jan. 29 to 22 years in state prison, followed by 20 years of post-release supervision.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: POLICE SERVICE Rosendale Police Officer Patricia Vincent
While off duty on Oct. 18, 2017, Vincent was traveling in her personal vehicle through her patrol area on state Route 32 in Rosendale when she saw a person, who she knew to have a criminal record, on a property where he did not belong.
Vincent knew the property owner was not home because the person had been hospitalized as a result of an accident that occurred a few days prior. She stopped her vehicle, called the Rosendale police, and took up a position while continuing to watch the person, identified as Gerald J. O’Dell, walk around the residence.
When patrols arrived, they saw O’Dell leaving the residence from the second story via a makeshift ladder. He was immediately arrested and charged with felony attempted burglary and the violation of trespass.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: LIFE SAVING State Trooper Jessica Romero, Ulster County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean McMahon
Romero and McMahon were assigned to a traffic post during the Highland Fourth of July celebration. While they were directing traffic, Romero was flagged down by another motorist who reported a man down on the shoulder of the road. McMahon and Romero responded and found the man on the side of the road, unconscious and not responding. They immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and attached an automated external defibrillator, or AED. After a shock was delivered from the AED, the man’s pulse was regained.
The man was then taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: LIFE SAVING Kingston Police Officers Jeremy Arciello, Tiffanie Baney, Anthony North
On Sept. 5, 2017, Kingston police received a call for a medical emergency at a local automobile parts store. When officers arrived, they were directed to a 53-year-old man who appeared to be in cardiac arrest. They immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man and continued until members of the Kingston Fire Department arrived. Continued CPR allowed the man to regain consciousness, and he was taken to HealthAlliance Hospital’s Broadway Campus. The doctors at the hospital attributed the man’s survival to the immediate use of CPR.
MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: LIFE SAVING MERITORIOUS CITIZENSHIP: LIFE SAVING Town of Ulster Police Officer Gary Short, Eric Letterio of Hyde Park, Sean Nestler of Hurley
On June 29, 2017, Letterio and Nestler were each driving across the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge when they saw a man sitting on the railing near the center of the span. Both men stopped their vehicles and approached the man, who was determined to be suicidal.
Officers from the Ulster police arrived and saw Letterio standing near the railing talking to the suicidal man and Nestler holding onto the man’s belt and shirt.
Short then engaged the man in conversation in an attempt to get him off the railing. Officials said his calming voice and professionalism were maintained throughout the incident and Short was able to connect with the suicidal man on a personal level.
After a period of time, Short was able to convince the man to step off the railing and back to safety.
MERITORIOUS CITIZENSHIP: LIFE SAVING Madelyn Haynes of New Paltz
Late on Oct. 14, 2017, Ulster County 911 dispatched police and firefighters to a working structure fire at a residence in the town of New Paltz. Soon after the dispatch, the home was fully engulfed in flames. The two occupants, 17-yearold Haynes and the 10-yearold girl she was babysitting, were in the home during the fire but had gotten out.
Haynes called 911 and reported she was sleeping
when she noticed smoke funneling into the home via a heating vent. After further inspection, she saw flames coming from the roof and ceiling. Haynes immediately got the child and the family’s two dogs out of the home. MERITORIOUS POLICE SERVICE: LIFE SAVING MERITORIOUS CITIZENSHIP: LIFE SAVING New Paltz Police Officer Eric Bernhardsen, Daryl Costello of Kerhonkson
On Sept. 11, 2017, New Paltz police responded to a rollover vehicle crash on South Putt Corners Road. When he arrived, Costello immediately tended to a 6-year-old girl who had been thrown from the vehicle and was lying underneath it. He grabbed a shirt and applied
pressure to the child’s wound, which was bleeding.
When Bernhardsen arrived soon after, he took over tending the child, continuing to apply pressure to the wound.
The girl then was flown to Westchester Medical Center, where she was treated for her injuries. MERITORIOUS CITIZENSHIP: JUSTICE Dino Gjokaj of Lloyd
Gjokaj has been a resident in Lloyd for the past eight years and has used his personal and professional resources to assist in many of the town’s charitable endeavors. He has turned over his restaurant, Vigneto Café, to the Lloyd Police Department for fundraisers and has donated his entire facility, time, staff and food for these functions. Most recently, Gjokaj helped raise more than $2,000 for the Hurricane Relief Fund and provided it to the American Red Cross.
Since his participation in the town police “Civilian Police Academy,” he also has donated catering for a graduation dinner to the academy graduates and its staff every year.
In addition to fundraising and catering through his restaurant, Gjokaj continues to support the town. MERITORIOUS CITIZENSHIP: JUSTICE The Kelder family Nearly three years ago, the Kelder family lost their son and brother to a fatal overdose combination of heroin and fentanyl. Ryan Kelder was found dead at his apartment in the village of Ellenville after completing a rehabilitation program in the town of Wawarsing. He tried to make a fresh start, but was unable to free himself from being an opiate abuser.
To make sure Ryan did not die in vain, the Kelders have gone to local schools to speak about the dangers of opiate addiction. The family also formed the RYAN Foundation, which stands for Raising Your Awareness about Narcotics.
They continue to bring their message to any community and to reach thousands of young people in the hope of making a difference in their lives. SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Maryann DeGroodt of Kingston
DeGroodt stands behind law enforcement, the county Police Chiefs Association, and several other organizations. She brings food to major incidents, but more importantly cares about the men and women of law enforcement, officials said.
She not only thinks about the needs of the members of the association, she also takes the time to make sure their families are getting what they need while the members are out for days on end during major incidents.
DeGroodt also volunteers to sell tickets for fundraisers, donates time and money, and gets other people and businesses to donate. She supports members of law enforcement in general, as well as men and women serving in the armed forces.