PGPD Honors Patrol Officers of the Month

Patrol officers suit up each shift to serve and protect our community. Too often their good work goes unnoticed. We’d like to introduce you to the Patrol Officers of the Month for May 2014.

District I Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer Nicholas O’Connor

On May 16, 2014, patrol officers were dispatched to a trespassing call in the 1500 block of Madison Street. When Police Officer Nicholas O’Connor arrived, he found a man sleeping in a stairwell. He woke up the man and immediately noticed that he began to nervously fumble with the left side of his jacket. As they were leaving the building, the suspect took off running. After a brief chase, Officer O’Connor caught him. The suspect had a loaded revolver in his jacket pocket and additional ammunition in his backpack. He was arrested.

District II Police Officers of the Month

Corporal Calvin Brinkley

Police Officer Stephen Rice

Corporal Doyle Bigsby
(No Photo Available)

On May 17, 2014, patrol officers were called to Largo Drive West in Largo for the report of a large fight. When Corporals Doyle Bigsby and Calvin Brinkley and Police Officer Stephen Rice arrived, they saw the fight in front of a hotel. As they approached, they saw a suspect pull out a gun from his waistband and point it at the group. When the patrol officers confronted the suspect, he ran away and into a nearby field. He was quickly caught and arrested. Corporals Bigsby and Brinkley and Officer Rice then coordinated a search of the area and found the loaded handgun that the suspect had tried to hide.

District III Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer First Class Shea Jefferson

                                                                        

On May 2, 2014, Police Officer First Class Shea Jefferson conducted a traffic stop on a car that had just run a red light at Walker Mill Road and Wilburn Drive. The car initially pulled over but sped off as POFC Jefferson was approaching. The patrol officer immediately broadcast a lookout for the fleeing car and watched as it turned onto a dead end street. A short time later, POFC Jefferson found the car with the driver still inside. As he approached the car, the driver got out and ran away. POFC Jefferson caught him in some nearby woods. A witness reported seeing the suspect toss a gym bag as he was running away. That bag was found. Inside - a loaded gun, more than 1,110 grams of cocaine and cash. The street value of the recovered drugs is $113,000.

District IV Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer Khaled Rasuli

On May 27, 2014, Police Officer Khaled Rasuli conducted a traffic stop on Oxon Hill Road. As he approached, he detected a strong odor of suspected marijuana coming from the car. A search of the car revealed a loaded handgun. The three occupants also all had marijuana and drug paraphernalia on them. The three suspects were arrested.

District V Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer John Diggs

Police Officer Matthew Clark

On May 9, 2014, Police Officers John Diggs and Matthew Clark were dispatched to Pendall Drive in Fort Washington for an assist fire department call. When they arrived, the patrol officers learned from several witnesses that two teens were seen running from a vacant burning home. The patrol officers broadcast a lookout for the suspects who were soon spotted nearby. The preliminary investigation reveals the teens set fire to a mattress outside the home and to debris inside the home. Further investigation also revealed that the suspects were responsible for setting fire to several mailboxes in the neighborhood.

District VI Police Officer of the Month

First Lieutenant Stephen Joy

On May 10, 2014, First Lieutenant Stephen Joy was patrolling in the area of Old Gunpowder Road and Contee Road due to several recent thefts from construction equipment and vehicles.  While patrolling, First Lieutenant Joy conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck. As he spoke with the driver, the patrol officer spotted four large batteries in the passenger compartment. The driver also appeared nervous. During the field interview, First Lieutenant Joy discovered the driver was in possession of heroin. The driver was arrested. A further inspection of the truck revealed 17 additional commercial batteries that had been covered in the bed of the truck. The subsequent investigation revealed that the 21 batteries were linked to the recent thefts.