The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Blue Coats dinner honors officers
Honorees serve in Grand River, Willoughby Hills
For nearly 50 years, Lake County Blue Coats, Inc. has been honoring area public safety professionals who go way above and far beyond their job descriptions to serve and protect everyday people.
This year, the organization presented its hallmark Jorge Medina Distinguished Service Award to four Lake County police officers who distinguished themselves in 2017 through bravery and without regard for their own safety.
Organization President Ronald Taddeo said this year’s event honoring the award’s recipients was the most well-attended in its history, with some 160 attendees.
“We broke a record,” he said as folks were still making their way through the buffet. “We usually get about 120.”
He said he was happy to see so much support for the group, which not only honors the bravest among Lake County’s finest. It also provides various scholarships and other civic support.
“I’ve been with the organization a long time,” he said. “It’s a good organization and it does a lot of good for the county. Without police and fire personnel, this country would be dead in the water. So we’re happy to support them and their families here in Lake County.”
In honor of his longstanding service to Lake County, a moment of silence was incorporated into this year’s LCBC agenda for Arthur D. Baldwin II, who died in October after serving as Waite Hill’s mayor for 46 years, making him the longest-serving mayor in Ohio, Taddeo said.
Honored for their public safety service during the 52nd Annual Blue Coats Dinner and awards ceremony Feb. 7 at LaMalfa Center in Mentor were Grand River Police officers Bryan Keough and James Neal, and Willoughby Hills Police officers Craig Anderson and Cory Planisek. They are now among the 110 public safety officials so honored since 1966.
In the Grand River officers’ case, they contended with a man after he plunged into the Grand River and fought with both patrolmen as he sought to evade arrest.
Specifically, according to the letter Grand River Village Police Chief Barry Dodd wrote recommending Keough and Neal for the award, both officers were working July 8 outside the Pickle Bill’s restaurant dock and “had handcuffed and under arrest a mentally-ill, illegal Mexican immigrant (when) the suspect subsequently, and without warning, jumped into the Grand River... and disappeared under the water.”
The related arrest report reads: “Officer Neal removed his duty gear and immediately jumped into the river after the individual. While in the water, the individual continued to fight with Officer Neal, at times becoming dead weight so as to sink to the bottom of the river, pulling Officer Neal with him. During this time, Officer Neal continued to struggle with the subject, as Officer Neal was fighting to keep his head above water.”
The report goes on to describe how, when Neal tried to get the suspect out of the water, he resumed the struggle. Then the handcuffs he had on broke open. He tried to swim back out into open water and Neal swam after him.
“Upon Officer Neal catching up to the individual, he grabbed a hold of him, who began fighting with Officer Neal in an attempt to drag
“I’m kind of choked up. I sure wasn’t expecting all this. I mean, I didn’t even know we were nominated. It was a surprise to both of us.” — Grand River Police officer James Neal, who was honored with fellow G.R. officer Bryan Keough
him under the water with him,” the report reads. “Officer Keough entered the water in an attempt to assist Officer Neal and they began to pull the suspect back to the dock. As the subject was removed from the water, he again latched onto Officer Neal’s legs, with his legs, in a leg lock, which caused Officer Neal to not be able to keep himself afloat and started to submerge under the water.”
The report continues: “Officer Neal was able to get his head out of the water enough to yell ‘He’s got my legs,’ at which time an unknown person struck the individual in the thigh area with his fist in an attempt to make him let him go, at which time (the suspect) was secured in a new set of handcuffs.”
The Willoughby Hills officers were involved in the Sept. 28 incident at Classic BMW during which a distraught customer fired shots with a handgun.
In his letter recommending Anderson and Planisek for the award, Willoughby Hills Police Department Chief Christopher Collins painted a picture of the tense situation during which the pair of officers distinguished themselves through their bravery and selfless commitment to protecting the public without regard for their own safety.
“At 1:59 p.m., Officers Anderson and Planisek were dispatched to Classic BMW for a male customer who was acting erratically within the service department. Upon arrival the officers made contact with a 30 year old male who had his car at the dealership for service. A records check disclosed the male had multiple warrants for his arrest,” Collins’ letter reads. “As the officers attempted to arrest him, he ran through the service bay towards the large overhead door to the parking lot. The officers chased him and Officer Planisek tackled him as he exited to the outer parking lot area with Officer Anderson by his side. As the male was being tackled, he pulled a handgun from his waistband and began firing at the officers striking both officers multiple times.”
Collins’ letter continues: “In spite of their serious injuries, both officers continued to engage the suspect. Officer Planisek wrestled the male to the ground moving to control the suspect’s gun hand while Officer Anderson recovered and shot the suspect four times with his duty weapon.”
Putting the incident into perspective, the chief credited Anderson’s and Planisek’s actions that day for likely preventing what could have been a much more violent and potentially deadly incident.
“The critical, selfless actions of Officers Anderson and Planisek to continue to engage the suspect after both were shot several times and seriously wounded ensured the safety of the many dealership employees and customers,” he writes. “Without their heroic actions the potential threat to the employees and the public was significant as the suspect shot all the bullets from his gun and had another loaded pistol magazine in his pocket.”
After receiving the award Feb. 7, all four officers confirmed they felt both humbled and honored to be recognized as heroes.
“I’m kind of choked up,” Neal said following the awards presentation. “I sure wasn’t expecting all this. I mean, I didn’t even know we were nominated. It was a surprise to both of us.”
Both he and Keough said they were both “just doing our jobs.”
“How do I feel? I don’t know. I’m just grateful, I guess,” Keough said. “I’m not a hero. I’m humbled.”
Willoughby Hills’ Anderson and Planisek conveyed similar sentiments.
“I feel honored,” Anderson said. I mean, really, I’m just speechless. I’m just glad nobody else was hurt and I’m just glad Cory and I were able to keep something worse from happening.” Planisek agreed. “I feel good, happy to be here with my family and friends for this,” he said, adding that he doesn’t feel as though he did anything any of his colleagues wouldn’t have done.
“Any of the other guys I work with would pretty much have done the same thing,” he said.