Law Enforcement Awards 2012

Law Enforcement Awards 2012
Distinguished Law Enforcement Lifetime Achievement Award
Detective Jeffrey S. Collins
Columbus Division of Police
Jill Del Greco
Public Information Officer
Office 614-728-4946
Jill.delgreco@ohioattorneygeneral.gov
One sign of a person’s influence is the number of people who follow in his path.
By that and many other measures, Detective Jeffery S. Collins can take great
pride in his life’s work.
Like her father, Collins’ daughter Heather aspired to a career with the
Columbus Division of Police. Today, she is a detective in the Homicide Unit and
proudly wears his Badge 186, which her father polished thin through the years
and presented to Heather when she graduated from the police academy.
Several members of the Boy Scout Explorer Post that Detective Collins advised
also joined central Ohio police departments. His post was recognized twice as
the nation’s top Explorer group and won the national shooting competition
three times. When Detective Collins realized that many members of the post
had dropped out of high school, he launched a tutoring program to help them
prepare for the GED. Still, they felt their lack of a “real” diploma would hold
them back — until Collins showed them his own GED diploma.
That ability to lead by example served Detective Collins’ department well in his
39 years with the force. He worked in a wide range of units — Patrol, Radio,
SWAT, Crime Scene Search, Special Forces Airport, Ordnance, and Detective
Bureau — and his personnel file bulged with more than 45 documented
commendations from citizens, government leaders, news media, and fellow
officers.
Yet it’s likely that no one’s admiration means more to him than that of his
loved ones, and clearly he has that. When she nominated him for this award,
Heather wrote, “I hope to achieve a fraction of what he has accomplished
during his career, but more importantly to leave the Division of Police as he did
— having made a difference.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Lifetime Achievement Award
Sheriff Dwight E. Radcliff
Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Dwight E. Radcliff is in a class all his own.
He was elected by the citizens of Pickaway County in 1964 — when Lyndon
Johnson was president, gas cost 30 cents a gallon. That makes him the
longest-serving sheriff in America. But longevity is by no means his primary
accomplishment.
Known as a devoted, no-nonsense lawman, Sheriff Radcliff has overseen the
modernization of his department, the influx of technology, and the growth of
both his staff (from 11 members to 84) and his jail (from 40 beds to 110).
His community has long recognized his impact. The Boy Scouts named him
Outstanding Citizen of the Year, the Rotarians bestowed their Service Above
Self Award, and Circleville High School chose him as the first inductee of its
Hall of Fame. A full list of commendations would take hours to recite.
Through it all, Sheriff Radcliff’s commitment to Pickaway County’s citizens and
the field law enforcement has been unwavering. He is a longtime member of
the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and he has served on
the LEADS steering committee since its inception. He led the Buckeye State
Sheriffs’ Association in the ’70s and the National Sheriffs’ Association in the
’80s and served in numerous other capacities for both. State leaders and
association representatives alike have lauded his work in raising the
professional standards of Ohio sheriffs and bringing their retirement benefits in
line with those of their peers.
“When others might have kicked back, this man offered his service to the
people of Pickaway County,” wrote Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart, one of
his nominators for this award. “During his tenure, the department has grown,
built a new jail, and developed an excellent reputation for assisting citizens
regardless of the problem at hand.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Training Award
Captain Dale A. Soltis
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Captain Dale A. Soltis is a born teacher. A member of the Summit County
Sheriff’s Office since 1985, Captain Soltis holds a bachelor’s degree in
education. And he’s put it to good use.
Captain Soltis earned his peace officer instructor certificate from the Ohio
Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) in 1991 and has amassed a mountain
of training and instructor certificates in the years since. His students have
ranged from law enforcement officers enrolled in firearms, ethics, and other
courses to adults in Red Cross CPR classes to youngsters in DARE and GREAT
courses.
His thirst for knowledge and passion for teaching led Summit County Sheriff
Drew Alexander to name him the department’s training division commander in
2006. He has written countless training curricula, policies, and procedures,
and he’s a go-to instructor for his own and other departments as well as basic
academies.
Captain Soltis was instrumental in developing a multijurisdictional training
facility that provides state-of-the-art instruction for local, state, and federal law
enforcement agencies, and his personnel file brims with notes from satisfied
clients, visitors, and Sheriff Alexander.
“The high caliber of your efficiency and knowledge, combined with your
commitment to outstanding quality, reflects your dedication to the Summit
County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Alexander wrote on one occasion. “A special
note of thanks for heading up the best and most professional training bureau,
not only in the state of Ohio, but nationwide!”

Mark Losey Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award
Assistant Chief Cindy M. Combs
Cincinnati Police Department
Leadership is in Lieutenant Colonel Cindy M. Combs’ blood. Combs retired in
April after 32 years with the Cincinnati Police Department, including more than
10 years as assistant chief of police. She was the first woman in her
department to fill that role.
Lieutenant Colonel Combs has received more than 10 dozen commendations
in her career, including the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio’s Officer of the
Year award, the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement’s Breaking
the Glass Ceiling Award, and the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce’s
WE Succeed Mentor of the Year honor.
As assistant chief, she oversaw a budget of more than $100 million along with
grants, human resources, information technology and records functions, police
academy operations, training, and evidence management. She co-developed
Cincinnati’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program, which Neighborhoods USA
named the top program of its kind in 2008. And she spearheaded the
purchase and build-out of the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Regional Operations
Center, which houses emergency communication, IT, crime analysis, and
tactical planning functions.
Among her many civic and community contributions, Assistant Chief Combs
served as president of the Hamilton County Police Association, as chair of the
Cincinnati City Records Commission, and as the longtime campaign
coordinator for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
“Cindy Combs has made, and continues to make, significant contributions
toward the improvement and development of Ohio law enforcement,” said her
nominator, Chief Charles Lindsey of nearby Harrison Police Department. “She
stands as an example for all to emulate.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Achievement Award
Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Special Agent James E. Hardie, Task Force Coordinator
Special Agent Laura E. Lebo
Victim Specialist Jennifer Jo Meyers
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Special Agent David W. Pauley
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Trooper Stacy L. Stidham
Lima Police Department
Investigator David R. Gillispie
Perrysburg Township Police Department
Detective Scott C. Moskowitz
Toledo Police Department
Detective Peter J. Swartz
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
Agent Alessandra Norden
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office
Detective Amy J. Harrell
Getting any federal task force off the ground takes time and hard work, and the
Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force was no exception.
Today, the efforts are paying off.
Formed in 2006 to combat a significant juvenile sex trafficking problem in
Toledo, the task force is one of 44 operating under the FBI’s Innocence Lost
National Initiative. The task force has recovered or identified more than 100
juvenile victims of prostitution since its inception and is involved in 35 active
investigations. Since 2010, it has charged 20 subjects.

Raising awareness of the lives torn apart by this slavery — whether through
testimony to legislators or presentations in churches and schools — has been a
priority for task force members. They also participate in the Ohio Attorney
General’s Human Trafficking Commission and developed and teach an in-depth
OPOTA course on trafficking investigation methods.
Their expertise has taken them across borders as well. Three members of the
group traveled to Serbia twice in the last year to meet with some 800 law
enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, and non-governmental agency
representatives on ways to address that nation’s significant human trafficking
problem.
“Victim-centered approach” isn’t a handy catch phrase to this group. Its
members visit juvenile detention facilities and other locations in search of
victims. The task force was among three of 44 asked to participate in the FBI’s
national Crimes Against Children Unit best-practices symposium to showcase
its work with victims.
“We work within the community to find these victims,” said Special Agent
Dustin, who supervises the task force. “We have arrested and prosecuted a lot
of pimps, but at the same time we haven’t lost touch with the victims.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Achievement Award
Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Matthew Lutz
Captain Jeff Lecocq
Captain Steve Welker
Director of Operations Kim Hambel
Sergeant Steve Blake
Detective K.C. Jones
Detective Todd Kanavel
Detective Craig Knox
Deputy Tony Angelo
Deputy Tom Joseph
Deputy Wade Kanavel
Deputy Jay Lawhorne
Deputy Chris Merry
Deputy Jonathan Merry
Deputy Ryan Paisley
Deputy Adam Swope
Deputy Ryan Williams
Deputy Randy Wilson
Auxiliary Deputy Kevin Neal
Auxiliary Deputy Drake Prouty
Dispatcher William Rowe
Dispatcher Joleen Kinsel
The men and women of the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office faced a
situation the night of Oct. 18, 2011, that no law enforcement officer would ever
dream of confronting: A resident whose farm abutted Interstate 70 just
minutes west of Zanesville had released 48 exotic animals and taken his own
life.
Amazingly, the only human life lost was that of the animals’ owner. But
deputies were forced to shoot dozens of creatures, including 18 tigers, 17
lions, three mountain lions, and two bears.
Deputies were dispatched to the farm about 5 p.m. after a neighbor reported a
bear and lion on the loose. Although they were accustomed to these calls —
this was the department’s 36th visit to the farm — it was quickly apparent

these circumstances were different. Within minutes of their arrival, deputies
had to put down two wolves, three large cats, and two bears.
Sheriff Matt Lutz, concerned about the safety of area residents, had issued the
order to shoot any animals that had left or were attempting to leave the
property. He pulled together a special response team of the department’s best
shots to seek out the remaining animals and retrieve the landowner’s body.
The department worked closely with experts from The Wilds wildlife
conservation center and Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo,
concerning the evolving situation and six surviving animals. Lutz held regular
news conferences to keep the public informed throughout the ordeal.
Letters of gratitude from community members poured in, including one to
Sheriff Lutz from an eighth-grade student: “This many animals escaping made
me quite nervous. I then heard you over the news and this calmed my nerves.
You sounded so confident in your deputies and yourself that I began to relax.
Thank you for bringing this town back to its normal, quiet, small-town routine.”
Prompted by the incident, Ohio legislators passed a law that bans the
acquisition, sale, and breeding of restricted species as of January 2014 and
requires current owners to register their animals with the state.

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Achievement Award
Chardon Police Department
Chief Timothy McKenna
Lieutenant Troy Duncan
Officer Matthew Delisa
Officer Adam Lefelhoc
Officer Charles Pirnat
Dispatcher Debbie Talarcek
Dispatcher Sally Harmasek
Geauga County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Dan McClelland
Chief Deputy Scott Hildenbrand
Lieutenant Gary Gribbons
Lieutenant John Hiscox
Lieutenant W. Scott Neihus
Sergeant John Copen
Sergeant Steve Gallowan
Sergeant Christopher Vokoun
Detective Aaron Graley
Deputy Heather Bilicic
Deputy John Bilicic
Deputy William Boehnlein
Deputy Frank Filla
Deputy Joseph Hrouda
Deputy Larry Hunt
Deputy Edward Hunziker
Deputy Michael Matsik
Deputy Jeffrey Powers
Deputy Randal Primer
Deputy Andrew Supinski
Deputy Nicholas Sysak
Deputy Juanita Vetter
Dispatcher Peggy Dailey
Dispatcher Juanita Herrington
Dispatcher Erik Wright
Victim Advocate Tracy Jordan
Administrative Assistant Christine Kennedy
Administrative Assistant Nancy Farrow

Clerk Erin Knife
Clerk Mary Kerchelich
Clerk Diane Peterson
Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office
Prosecutor David P. Joyce
Detective Karen M. Sweet
Assistant Prosecutor Nick Burling
Assistant Prosecutor Matt Greenway
Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Joyce
Victim Advocate Cindi Haycox-Wellman
Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Special Agent Supervisor Dennis Sweet
Senior Special Agent Lee Lerussi
Special Agent Edward Carlini
Special Agent Matt Cesareo
Special Agent Arvin Clar
Special Agent Gary Fossaceca
Special Agent Larry Hootman
Special Agent Mark Kollar
Special Agent Edward Lulla
Special Agent Eric Lehnhart
Special Agent Dave Posten
Special Agent Ed Staley
Special Agent Rob Surgernor
Special Agent Dan Winterich
Chester Township Police Department
Chief Mark A. Purchase
Sergeant Todd Pocek
Officer Sean Day
Officer David DiCicco
Officer Matthew Brickman
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Lieutenant Jim Sivak
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Harold V. Bickmore

Supervisory Special Agent Jon M. Holloway
Supervisory Administrative Specialist Tamara M. Larkin
Special Agent Robert C. McBride
Special Agent Russell G. Csaszar
Special Agent Charles Sullivan
Special Agent Scott T. Wilson
Chardon Police Prosecutor Victim Assistance Program
Tracey Fronk
Geauga Park District
In addition to the initial law enforcement responders, the Ohio Attorney General
commends countless others who assisted at the scene and in the days and weeks
afterwards. Among them:
Bainbridge Police Department
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Burton Fire Department
Chardon Fire Department
Chardon Public Service Department
Chester Township Fire Department
Community Care Ambulance
Concord Township Fire Department
Drug Enforcement Administration
Euclid Police Department
Hambden Fire Department
Kirtland Fire Department
Lake County Bomb Squad
Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Leroy Fire Department
Mentor Fire Department
Metro Life Flight
Montville Fire Department
Munson Fire Department
Ohio Attorney General’s Crime Victim Services
Thompson Police Department
U.S. Marshals Service
University Medavac
Valley Enforcement Group SWAT Team
Valley Enforcement Negotiating Team

Several law enforcement officers responding to the shooting at Chardon High
School in February had children in the school. But they still got right to work,
trusting that school officials would safeguard their kids — a selfless act that
Superintendent Joe Bergant said typified officers’ response to the tragedy.
Within minutes of the 911 call, the Chardon Police Department and Geauga
County Sheriff’s Office had responders on the scene, where six students had
been shot in the school cafeteria. Three of the students died, and another was
paralyzed.
Members of the Chester Township Police Department, Ohio Bureau of Criminal
Investigation, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and Geauga County Prosecutor’s
Office were on the scene while the school was being cleared. The Valley
Enforcement Group SWAT Team also responded, securing the building while
investigators worked to identify and locate the person responsible.
Intelligence gathered from hundreds of students, teachers, and administrators
revealed a suspect, whom authorities tracked through the woods and
apprehended about two miles from the school within the first hour.
Investigators immediately drafted search warrants and quickly executed them
at three locations, gathering evidence vital to the prosecution. The suspected
shooter, who recently turned 18, will be tried as an adult. He faces multiple
charges, including three counts of aggravated murder.
Superintendent Bergant said students and staff recognized many of the first
responders: Nearly all of them had participated in an active shooter drill at
Chardon High School the year before. The relationships built through that
process and other efforts were crucial in the response, he said.
“I can’t tell you how heroically they responded,” Superintendent Bergant said.
“I am so grateful to everyone who put their life on the line to help our school
and our kids. They did a superb job and prevented any further tragedy.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Meritorious Service Award
Officer Stephen Bower
Cincinnati Police Department
Officer Stephen Bower was working an off-duty detail in northeast Cincinnati in
the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 2011, when the manager of a nearby bar
asked him to respond to a fight in a parking lot. As Officer Bower approached in
a marked police car, he heard shots and saw a man firing a handgun into the
air.
The officer positioned his cruiser in a higher adjoining parking lot, giving him a
better vantage point, when he saw the subject firing toward a crowd that had
gathered. Officer Bower drew his weapon and ordered the man to drop his gun.
Instead, the man turned and fired at Officer Bower, who returned fire.
The suspect fled the parking lot on foot, and when Officer Bower pursued him,
shots rang out from the area onlookers where had gathered. Officer Bower
abandoned the foot pursuit and took cover, and the shooters fled. Later, a man
believed to be the original suspect sought hospital treatment for a gunshot
wound to his shoulder and was arrested.
“Officer Bower placed himself in grave danger when he responded to a fight in
progress, engaged the gunman, and encountered deadly force directed at him
and countless citizens,” said his nominator, Sergeant Eric Davis. “Officer Bower
displayed exceptional courage and maintained a calm demeanor during this
incident, preventing the loss of life or serious injury.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Meritorious Service Award
Officer Theodore Davis
Officer Joel A. Moledor
Cuyahoga Falls Police Department
Officers Theodore Davis and Joel A. Moledor were dispatched to a Cuyahoga
Falls residence shortly after midnight on Nov. 21, 2011, and heard a woman
screaming for help and a man yelling at her in a locked garage.
Patrolman Moledor kicked in a side door of the garage, and the officers found
the woman on the ground bleeding and the man holding a knife. On officers’
orders, the man dropped his weapon, and he was taken into custody.
Interviews revealed that the two were married, but separated, and the man had
come to the house to confront her. An argument ensued, and the man struck
and stabbed his estranged wife. He was charged with five crimes, including
attempted murder.
“We’re very proud of the work they did that night,” Captain Jack Davis, their
nominator, told the Falls News Press newspaper. “It’s not something they do
every night, but it’s nice to know when the time comes, there’s no hesitation in
doing what they have to do.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Meritorious Service Award
Patrolman Kyle Nietert
University Heights Police Department
Five family members have Patrolman Kyle Nietert to thank for their lives
following a 2 a.m. house fire on July 9, 2011.
Already on patrol nearby, Patrolman Nietert arrived at the home 45 seconds
after the emergency broadcast. He found a man leaning from an upstairs
window, with thick smoke billowing around him. The man shouted that his wife
and three children were trapped on the second floor by flames and smoke. As
the officer raced to find a way to enter the home, he found two of the children,
ages 7 and 13, gasping and choking in another open window.
Realizing there was little time to get the family out and no viable exit other than
the windows, Patrolman Nietert instructed the mother to drop the children to
him. The officer caught the children and led them to the street to await
paramedics.
Other officers arrived and located a ladder, which Patrolman Nietert ran to get.
When he returned, he saw the father on a first-floor roof, which was burning
and in danger of collapse. Patrolman Nietert positioned the ladder against the
roof and helped the father to safety. When he turned his attention back to the
mother, he found her in the window, close to being overcome by smoke. He
positioned and climbed the ladder, then helped the woman down. A third child
had climbed off a lower roof to safety.
Within three minutes of his arrival, and before fire units arrived, Patrolman
Nietert had rescued this family, whose members suffered only from minor
smoke inhalation.
“I can’t tell you how proud I was, and all the glowing reports I received about
this police officer,” University Heights Mayor Susan Infeld said in presenting
Patrolman Nietert with a Public Servant of the Year award in December. The
accompanying resolution read: “Patrolman Kyle Nietert’s actions serve as a
shining example of heroism and courage to a grateful community and an
inspiration to us all.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Meritorious Service Award
Officer Diondre Winstead
Cincinnati Police Department
Officer Diondre Winstead responded to Cincinnati’s College Hill neighborhood
the evening of Nov. 5, 2011, to help apprehend an armed felon spotted by
members of a local citizens’ patrol. The subject was kept under surveillance
until a perimeter was established, warrants were confirmed, and a tactical plan
was devised. Officer Winstead was the first on the scene once the command
was given to take the subject into custody.
As the officer approached, the man fled on foot, and Officer Winstead gave
chase. The subject jumped a three-foot wall onto an elevated driveway, where
he pulled a gun and fired at the officer. Fearing injury to innocent people,
Officer Winstead did not return fire, but continued to pursue the subject. Officer
Winstead and fellow officers found the subject hiding in bushes and arrested
him.
“Officer Winstead exhibited great courage, poise, restraint, and dedication to
duty in the face of rapidly evolving personal danger,” Sergeant Gregory Hines
wrote in nominating Officer Winstead. “As a result of Officer Winstead’s
actions, a violent armed criminal was removed from the streets of Cincinnati
and the College Hill neighborhood.”

Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Valor Award
Officer Ben Campbell
Copley Police Department
Responding to reports of an active shooter in a normally quiet Copley
neighborhood the morning of Aug. 7, 2011, Officer Ben Campbell tracked down
and engaged the subject without waiting for backup. Afterward, he learned of
the grisly events preceding the encounter: The man had just shot seven people
to death and severely wounded another.
For reasons still not fully known, the 51-year-old man went on a shooting spree
as he and his longtime girlfriend prepared for an out-of-state trip with her
family members. It appears the man had packed two firearms and more than
200 rounds of ammunition for the trip to a family reunion.
When another family member concluded the subject’s car was too small for the
group and began packing his own vehicle, the subject retrieved his firearms
and chased the man to a neighboring house, where he killed him. He then
turned his gun on the neighbor couple, their teenage granddaughter, and her
friend, killing all four. When the neighbors’ sons approached, the man chased
them and killed one of the men. Next, he shot his girlfriend and left her for
dead before pursuing her nephew. He found him hiding in a neighbor’s
basement and killed the boy within feet of another child.
At this point, Officer Campbell arrived. As the officer approached, the subject
emerged from behind a tree. Ignoring orders to drop his weapon, the subject
raised his gun at Officer Campbell. The officer fired three shots, striking the
subject and killing him.
“Officer Ben Campbell’s actions were heroic and saved the lives of additional
victims,” Copley Chief of Police Michael Mier said. “Officer Campbell placed
himself in danger to seek out the shooter by himself to bring this incident to
the quickest end possible.”