Vermont State Police honored several members Thursday for actions under pressure and noted six troopers who are being deploying to Afghanistan with the Vermont National Guard.
The award recipients:
Sgt. Thomas A. Mozzer Jr. won the prestigious and rarely given medal of honor and the combat cross for his role in an November 2008 incident. State police described the case this way: Mozzer responded to a call from a Proctor woman worried about her husband, found him in an upstairs bedroom holding a handgun. The man rushed Mozzer, fled then returned to the room and exchanged gunfire with Mozzer, who halted the man with non-life-threatening wounds. Mozzer tended to the man’s wounds, then helped the couple’s 6-year-old son out of the house.
Trooper First Class Stacy Corliss won the combat cross for her response to a house where a man was pointing a gun at his brother. State police said that the gunman retreated to his apartment and reportedly fired a shot. The gunman ran down the stairs pointed the gun at Corliss. She fired and though she did not hit him, he dropped to the ground and surrendered.
Lt. Michael Macarilla won the Lifesaving Award for his actions Nov. 19, 2008, when he was training at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., and a classmate had a heart attack as he was crossing the finish line in a physical fitness run. State police said Macarilla joined with others in providing first aid.
Senior Trooper Jonathan Graham won the Lifesaving Award for his actions July 30 in Weathersfield, where people were stranded in the fast-moving Black River. Graham, also a chief petty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, had a dry suit and life jacket in his car, reached a young girl who was unable to reach shore and could not swim.
Senior Trooper Michael Kamerling won the Lifesaving Award for his actions Sept. 21, when he observed a car that Essex police reported they were seeking. As Kamerling followed the car, state police said, it went off the road and struck a tree, catching on fire. Kamerling opened the driver’s door, unbuckled the unconscious driver and pulled him to safety.
Trooper First Class Robert Zink, Trooper Second Class Wayne Godfrey, Deputy Sheriff Joel Howard, Walter Gould of Bennington County, Albany Med Flight Officer Thomas Bull, Bennington Police Officer Anthony Silvestro, Bennington Police Detective Michael Plusch and Robin Breese of Bennington police were given the Lifesaving Award for their response to a car crash on Vermont 9 near the New York border. State police said the driver was trapped in the car and the group put out a fire and provided medical assistance.
Karen Bradley won the Commissioner’s Award for her role on the State Police Advisory Committee. She has served on the panel for more than 24 years, the last 16 as chairwoman before leaving to become a side judge.
Sgt. Stephen McNamara and Trooper First Class Peter Dempsey won the Director’s Award for their response to a burglary Nov. 17, 2008. State police said the suspect threatened the two with a golf club. The suspect was shot and surrendered.
Detective Sgt. Walter Smith, Detective Sgt. Charles Holden, Barre City Police Detective Hal Hayden were honored with the Director’s Award for their work on the 1982 murder of Pamela Brown in Barre. The three were credited with reviewing information and conducting new interviews following a match on the DNA database that led to the February arrest of Theodore Caron.
Adam Woodworth was given the Director’s Award for his work in developing the state’s new Amber Alert system.
Detective Trooper Amy Borsari was given the Division Commander’s Award for solving a case that involved the theft of a state police M-16 A1 rifle and ammunition out of a police car in August 2008. Borsari was credited with conducting an intense and difficult investigation that resulted in arrest.
ATF Special Agent in Charge James Mostyn won the Division Commander’s Award for his contributions to state police investigations.
