(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ten officers from five separate Central Ohio law enforcement agencies received awards today at the 2011 Ohio Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Conference. Officers were recognized with awards for valor, meritorious and distinguished service, and excellence in training.
“While we honor all the sacrifices law enforcement makes every single day to help protect Ohio families, these awards recognize individual officers and task forces who bravely serve the citizens of Ohio and have provided distinguished service to their communities and departments,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.
Union County
In relation to an August 10, 2010 high-speed chase in Marysville, Deputy Matt Henry of the Union County Sheriff’s Office received a Distinguished Law Enforcement Valor Award. Also receiving Distinguished Law Enforcement Meritorious Service Awards were Deputies Richard Crabtree and Shawn Waller, Union County Sheriff’s Office; Officers Robert Bartholomew, Amy Findley, and Joseph Petzinger, Marysville Division of Police; and Sergeant Mike Hasson and Trooper James Bryner, Ohio State Highway Patrol. On the day in question, the Union County Sheriff’s Office had received a report of a man with a gun at a rural residence. Mutual aid was requested from the Marysville Division of Police and Ohio State Highway Patrol, which deployed spike devices to stop the chase that reached speeds of up to 65 mph. Eventually, the man exited his truck and began firing on Deputies Henry and Crabtree. Officers returned fired, and the suspect went down. Deputy Henry received minor shrapnel wounds to his hand and face.
Delaware County
Chief Robert Taylor of the Genoa Township Police Department received a Mark Losey Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award. Chief Taylor has given 38 years to the field of law enforcement, including 13 in his current position with the Genoa Township Police Department in southern Delaware County. Chief Taylor organized the Genoa Township Citizens Policy Advisory Board, which draws on the expertise of former and current FBI agents, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers, attorneys, and other interested citizens to advise the department on important issues. He also instituted a bike patrol and motorcycle unit within his department, and he is working to gain departmental accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement.
Franklin County
Officer Charles D. “Dave” King of the Westerville Division of Police received a Distinguished Law Enforcement Training Award. Drawing on his 23 years with the department and past military experience, King has upgraded the type and quality of training available to full-time officers and reserves since assuming the role of training officer in 2007. In addition to organizing training sessions, Officer King keeps his department current on issues affecting law enforcement by issuing memos on important topics and compiling notebooks on significant court decisions.
A complete list of all award winners is available online at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/NewsReleases.
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