EVERETT — Stories about strangers standing by while others fall victim to crime are all too common. This story is different.
A woman was loading groceries into her car in a grocery store parking lot on March 16, 2009, when a man grabbed the purse she was holding. The woman held on. The man dragged her across the parking lot. George Smith heard her scream. He grabbed a jug of laundry soap — the 96-load size — and hit the suspect on the head.
Then Bret Schuh and Yorik Cade chased the suspect and held him down until police arrived. For their swift actions, the three were awarded Everett Police Department Citizen Commendations at the department’s annual awards ceremony held April 21.
Officer Butch Rockwell received the Brian DiBucci Award. The award is named after a young Everett police officer who died in 1999 after falling 100 feet from a highway overpass during a foot chase.
Rockwell, who lives in Arlington, joined the Everett police in 2007. He served as a sheriff’s deputy in Florida before that.
“This is something where I felt I could make a difference,” he said of his career.
Rockwell is a gang resource officer and works with kids. One time, a little girl wrote him a letter to say she was sorry for the way she acted. Rockwell was moved.
“It’s times like this when you realize what the job is really about,” he said.
Master police officer Ursula Clifton was awarded a Medal of Merit. On July 23, she responded to a high-speed car crash on Evergreen Way. The car, with two people in it, had been ripped in half. Clifton could see that the passenger was badly hurt and was bleeding severely from the neck. She worked to stop the bleeding while a fire burned at her feet.
Clifton has been a police officer since 1995, but she was part of the Everett Police Department for much longer. That’s where her father and uncle served. Since she was a girl, Clifton has known that is where she belongs, she said.
As a master police officer, she is responsible for training new officers.
“What I find most rewarding is being able to serve as a resource for my crew,” she said.
Recipients of Everett Police Department awards
Those honored by the Everett Police Department:
Detective Duane Wantland: Investigator of the Year
Kevin Fagerstrom: Supervisor of the Year
Officer Butch Rockwell: Brian DiBucci Award
Officer Suzanne Eviston: Certificate of Merit
Officer Renea Wardlaw: Certificate of Merit, Letter of Commendation
Sgt. Robert Goetz: Certificate of Merit
Officer Edward Golden: Certificate of Merit
Master police officer Bill Lange: Certificate of Merit
Detective Tim Morgan: Certificate of Merit
Sgt. Dan O’Neill: Certificate of Merit
Doug Bartells: Citizen Commendation
Kory Bustad: Citizen Commendation
Justin Byrd: Citizen Commendation
Matthew Harbst: Citizen Commendation
Yorik Cade: Citizen Commendation
Bret Schuh: Citizen Commendation
George Smith: Citizen Commendation
Steven Donley: Citizen Commendation
Angela Wallace: Citizen Commendation
Jim Ferguson: Citizen Commendation
Jeremiah Graham: Citizen Commendation
Levi Graham: Citizen Commendation
James Hill: Citizen Commendation
Detective Chris Roberts: Certificate of Merit
Officer Mike Atwood: Letter of Commendation
Officer Steve Brenneman: Letter of Commendation
Officer Randy Marrs: Letter of Commendation
Detective Andy Williams: Letter of Commendation
Lt. Mike Franckowiak: Letter of Commendation
Officer Nathan Wallace: Medal of Merit
Master police officer Ursula Clifton: Medal of Merit
Neil Shannon: Volunteer of the Year
Administrative secretary Sharlene Johnson: Civilian Employee of the Year, Letter of Commendation
Aaron Snell: Officer of the Year
Pat Masters: Citizen Commendation
Kate Reardon: Citizen Commendation
Master police officer Greg Sutherland: Letter of Commendation
Detective Kevin Allen: Letter of Commendation
Detective Dick Callaghan: Letter of Commendation
Detective Phil Erickson: Letter of Commendation
Detective Gary Fortin: Letter of Commendation
Detective Tim O’Hara: Letter of Commendation
Detective John Zeka: Letter of Commendation
Officer Brandon Gill: Letter of Commendation
Police specialist Deb Richardson: Letter of Commendation
Seniors Against Crime volunteers: Ove Bergan, Chet Brown, John Chatterton, Harold Griffiths, Heather Hanson, Gene Hasson, Ian Jones, Marion Lockleer, Charles Moore, Bill Searcy, Neal Shannon, Vi Shannon, Margo Spencer, Fran Taralli, Sam Taralli.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com
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