UB Police celebrate valor, commitment, service

UB police officers who stopped a suicidal military veteran from taking his own life on campus and a police dispatcher who found a student suffering an opiate overdose are among departmental personnel recognized for heroism and quick action at yesterday’s Ninth Annual Awards Ceremony.

During the department-wide picnic luncheon, held in the courtyard of the Center for Tomorrow, numerous officers, supervisors and University Police staff were honored for their service spanning many areas of campus police work.

“These are but a few examples of the great work our University Police officers do on a daily basis,” said Chief Gerald W. Schoenle Jr. “Everyone on these campuses is safer because of their dedication, commitment and ongoing training. These awards are just the tip of the iceberg for what they do throughout the year, around the clock.”

Lt. Jonathan Fletcher and Officer Philip McDonald were among those honored as Employees of the Second Quarter of 2015 for their search for and interaction with a suicidal male on campus who reportedly had taken a shotgun from his house on April 8.

Fletcher and McDonald conducted the search for the man after being notified by the Lancaster Police Department that the man had been sending suicidal text messages from the North Campus. After Fletcher quickly deployed officers to find the man, McDonald was able to locate his vehicle. Fletcher eventually found the man in a remote part of the Student Union. The victim said he would only speak to a fellow veteran; McDonald, a veteran himself, was able to develop a rapport with him.

“The victim had intended to jump off of the building, but the quick actions of Lt. Fletcher and Officer McDonald averted a crisis,” Schoenle said. “Their quick action and commitment to the community likely saved this man’s life.”

Dispatcher Robert Adamski was named Employee of the First Quarter of 2015 for his quick action on Feb. 9 in responding to a student’s father who was concerned about his son’s safety. The caller had not heard from his son recently and asked for a welfare check. Adamski quickly notified security at the Collegiate Village apartment complex where the student lived. Security found the student quickly, but he was suffering from an opiate overdose. The student was administered Narcan and taken to Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) for treatment.

“Dispatcher Adamski's quick thinking and attention to detail averted a possible life-threatening emergency,” Schoenle said.

Other awards presented at yesterday’s ceremony:

Officer John Sindoni responded on April 18 to a possible heroin overdose on the South Campus. The victim was reported to be unresponsive after snorting an unknown quantity of heroin. Upon discovering the victim, Sindoni administered Narcan and was able to get a response of shallow, labored breathing from the victim.

Officer Eric Radder received the designation of Employee of the Second Quarter, Honorable Mention as for his help in administering Narcan and assisting Sindoni with the student drug overdose victim.

Investigator Wayne Colton was honored for his investigative skills regarding burglaries reported in two different apartments at South Lake Village. The victims told police they had locked their apartments but their property was missing without any signs of forced entry. Colton found that three individuals hired to change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the apartment complex had committed these crimes. The owners recovered the stolen property and the case went to Judicial Affairs for follow-up.

Officer Christopher Kerr was recognized for “his focus and quick thinking.”

On Jan. 30, Kerr set up a traffic patrol at the corner of Flint and Maple roads after the Amherst Police Department received a report of four suspects in an armed robbery at a nearby Tim Hortons. Kerr saw the suspects’ vehicle drive past and followed it. After calling for assistance, Amherst Police initiated a felony traffic stop and arrested all four suspects.

Officer Bruce Pepi was honored for his “persistence and outstanding work.”

On Feb. 7, Pepi responded to a call from a student who said she had been approached by her ex-boyfriend, who had entered the passenger side of her vehicle, displayed a knife and grabbed her arm several times. The suspect also put the knife to his own throat and threatened to commit suicide. The suspect then left the vehicle and tried to steal the victim’s purse from the rear seat. The victim took the purse back from him, shut the car door and drove away.

The victim told Pepi the suspect worked at a local restaurant. After calling the restaurant and confirming the suspect was scheduled to work, Pepi arranged to have Amherst Police assist him with the arrest at the restaurant. When the officers arrived, the suspect had already left the restaurant, but Pepi later persuaded the suspect to turn himself in.

Officers Philip McDonald and Officer Mario Dragone were recognized for their “quick actions and commitment to the safety of the community.”

On March 15, McDonald and Dragone observed a vehicle operating unsafely at a reduced speed. The officers contacted UB dispatch to alert Tonawanda Police to stop the vehicle and investigate. The driver appeared to be semi-conscious or unconscious. McDonald and Dragone were able to safely stop the vehicle and assist the motor vehicle operator by restoring his blood sugar level, possibly saving his life.

Christopher Neal was honored for “outstanding work and thorough investigation” that “alleviated concerns of many campus residents.”

While on patrol on Oct. 20, Neal apprehended a suspect for harassment and stalking at South Lake Village. Neal observed the suspect peer into an apartment window of a female student. He immediately took the suspect into custody, which led to an arrest and linked him to previous stalking incidents at the same South Lake apartment.

Investigator Terry Banas was honored for her “remarkable attention to detail in sexual assault investigations. She is tenacious in her search for the truth and ensures the protection of the rights and dignity of each victim,” Schoenle said. “These qualities are a true testament to her professionalism and dedication.”

Besides completing her criminal investigations, she assisted Judicial Affairs and the UB’s Title IX officer.

Officer Christopher Bednasz was recognized for his “attentiveness and commitment to the safety of the community.”

In the Oct. 20 incident at South Lake Village, Bednasz was on patrol in South Lake Village and saw a suspect looking into a window of a female student’s apartment. He assisted Officer Neal and quickly apprehended the individual, the same suspect arrested and linked to other stalking incidents. Bednasz also helped arrest a suspect who had stolen several bikes from Main Circle on the South Campus.

Officer Matthew Barrett was honored for his “focus and dedication to the safety of university students.”

Barrett conducted “thorough investigations and excellent ground work” that led to increased patrols and the arrest of the person found to be stalking the South Lake Village apartments.

Officer Nicholas Hoffman was recognized for his “quick action and clever thinking.”

On Nov. 5, Hoffman acted quickly to track the person who had made a distress call to University Police without giving a location. After other officers checked areas of the South Campus, the victim was located in Clement Hall using the call tracker. The student was quickly transported to ECMC for medical treatment.

Officer Stacy Tuberdyke was honored for her “compassion and personalized service to the community.”

On Nov. 9, Tuberdyke was the first responder in a sexual assault investigation at South Lake Village. She quickly secured the scene and located the victim. “Through her professionalism and empathy, she developed a relationship with the victim so that the victim felt comfortable discussing the incident and filed a report,” said Schoenle. “Officer Tuberdyke went above and beyond, and stayed with the victim, as well as assisting her well into the investigation.”

Dispatcher Kristen Herr received recognition for her “attention to detail, diligence and outstanding work” in two cases.

On Nov. 5, Herr received a phone call from a woman asking for police to help on the South Campus. Herr tried to determine a more specific location, but only heard multiple girls crying in the background. She dispatched patrols to the South Campus to search for a woman in distress. Eventually, police found the caller and took her to ECMC for medical treatment.

In another incident on Nov. 11, dispatchers received a call from a female student asking to speak to someone from Counseling Services. However, when a counselor became available, the student went off the line and did not answer repeated phone calls. Campus police started a welfare check on campus while Amherst Police investigated her off-campus apartment. Police eventually found the student and took her for proper medical care because of Herr’s diligence as a dispatcher.

Dispatcher Jeremy Gasiewicz also received recognition for his “attentiveness and commitment to the safety of the community” during this incident, helping to locate the student and get her proper medical care.

Daryl Kempf, Scott Wallace and James Reger were recognized for their “dedication and hard work to the UB Police Department.”

“Through their extensive work, Daryl, Scott and Jim went above and beyond the call of duty to research, plan and implement the remodeling of our Communications Center,” said Schoenle. “These employees, along with Deputy Chief Joshua Sticht, went to various communication centers to evaluate the best design plan for the University Police Department.”

The three spent extensive time renovating the Communication Center, according to Schoenle. “This center was designed to make the best possible use of space, with the most up-to-date technology practical for our operation,” Schoenle said. “Their efforts will serve our department well for years to come.”

Officer Guy Harvey was honored for his “attention to detail and diligence that led to uncovering a crime.”

On July 6, Harvey stopped an uninspected motor vehicle at the Rensch Road Entrance to the North Campus. Although Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records showed the vehicle was uninspected, it displayed what appeared to be a valid inspection sticker.

Harvey started a multi-agency investigation of the inspection sticker with University Police, West Seneca Police, the New York State DMV Division of Field Investigations, U.S. Office of Inspector General, the Erie County District Attorney and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York.

“Officer Harvey’s diligence uncovered crimes that are related to thefts in the United States Postal Service, currently being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Schoenle said. “This has led to a DMV investigation of commercial garages in Erie County.”

University Police also recognized members of the department who participated in the department’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Aug. 22. This fundraiser helped spread awareness of the challenges faced by ALS patients and their families.

“The University Police were challenged by the Amherst Police Department to complete the challenge,” Schoenle said. “And in return, we challenged New York State University Police at Buffalo State College, the Thunder of the East (marching band) and the UB Bulls to complete the challenge.”

The UB Police Department’s challenge took place during the Aug. 22 Welcome Picnic for freshmen.

“This gave us a large crowd to appeal to for further support of the charity and allowed us to put a friendly, welcoming face on our department,” Schoenle said.

Schoenle recognized Blair Boone for recording and editing the video for the department’s social media efforts, a video seen by almost 15,000 people. Department members who took part in the challenge were Officers John Sindoni, Nicholas Hoffman, Chris Bednasz, Chris Fisher, Chris Kerr, Florence Brown, Sergio Disanto and Valerie Dobson, and Lts. Mark Gates, Scott Bixby and Amy Pedlow. Investigator Timothy Thompson, staff assistant Erika Grande and the full Command Staff also participated in the event.