Marple Police Officers Commended For Their Actions

BROOMALL–Officers in blue lined the perimeter of the meeting room in the building at Monday night's Board of Commissioners work session meeting.

A handful of officers were publicly recognized for their actions of merit during specific situations that occured within the past year. The officers were given an award of commendation by Marple Police Chief Tom Murray and Marple Commissioners President Michael Molinaro.

Those officers recognized are included below as well as the specific situations they have been credited for, as read by Murray:

• Jeff Haughey, Ed Rosen, Nick Coffin, , Andrew Ronsvalle, Pete Baylor, Larry Gerrity, and Lt. Frank Hannigan for an incident that occurred on Dec. 16, 2011. The officers responded to a reported domestic incident between two brothers on Hillview Road. As a result of the domestic, one brother reportedly threatened to commit suicide and placed a gun to his mouth. The other brother left the residence and reported the incident to police. Upon arrival, the officers set up a perimeter of the residence and after a brief conversatio via phone, the brother exited the home and was taken into custody. The subject was armed and the weapon was removed before he could use it on himself. As a result of the quick police response and actions taken, a difficult situation was quickly resolved with no injuries to either the subject or police.

• Steve Benecke, Ed Hanna, John Murrin, Det. Barry Williams, and Sgt. Brandon Graeff for an incident that occurred on Sept. 12, 2011. The officers responded to Delaware County Community College for a reported disturbance, a result of a demonstration that was occuring on the campus courtyard. This particular demonstraton was being conducted by an organization knkown as "Repend America," an organization known to police departments throughout the region for their graphic posters denouncing abortion. This organization is also known to record their demonstrations and the police response to their demonstrations as an intent to be used to sue police for violations of the First Amendment right to free speech. Officers responded to the college on three separate occasions that day, in which police were able to quickly calm a potentially explosive situation between the students and the preacher who were antagonizing each other. Sgt. Graeff writes, "Each day we are called upon to enforce and observe the Constitution and apply the law equally, regardless of personal feelings." As a result of the officers' actions, no injuries were sustained and no arrests were warranted.

• John Murrin, Ray Stiles, and Sgt. Brandon Graeff for an incident that occurred on Nov. 26, 2011. The officers responded to a burglary in process incident on Paxon Hollow Road. Police received information of an intruder in the house with a knife. The officers found a broken window in the front door and could see a white male standing in the living room with a large butcher knife in his hand. The officers were able to quickly take action to arrest the man with no injuries reported. 

• Steve Benecke for the same Nov. 26, 2011, buglary incident above was on patrol when he received the report of a burglary in process on the 800 block of Paxon Hollow Road. Benecke immediately entered the home and found the man in the living room with a large butcher knife. He verbally commanded for the man to drop the knife and continued to engage with the man as the other officers were able to subdue the man and take him into custody.

In addition, Murray recognized officer and was recently presented with the award by the Broomall Rotary Club.

"Officer Barmes is recognized for his many years of diligent police work," said Murray. "He's the guy you go to when you need something done, and you know it's goign to get done and it's going to get done well."