PGPD Honors Patrol Officers of the Month

Right now, PGPD patrol officers are fanned out across the county, serving and protecting the residents of Prince George’s County. Too often, their good work goes unnoticed. Here are the Patrol Officers of the Month for February.

 District I Patrol Officers of the Month

Sergeant Stephen Robinson

Corporal Steven Durity

On February 7, 2015, Sergeant Stephen Robinson and Corporal Steven Durity responded to Chauncey Place for the report of a citizen armed robbery. The victim told the officers he had just been robbed by two men at gunpoint as he was walking home. Sergeant Robinson and Corporal Durity canvassed a nearby apartment complex the suspects had run toward. The officers spotted two men who matched the suspects’ descriptions. As the officers approached, the men began to run away. The officers quickly caught them. The investigation positively linked the two suspects to the robbery.

District II Patrol Officers of the Month

Police Officer First Class Stephen Rannacher

Police Officer First Class Darrika Erby

On February 19, 2015, Police Officers First Class Stephen Rannacher and Darrika Erby were called to a business on Lanham Severn road for a robbery. The victim told the officers a suspect had walked into the business, pulled out a gun and demanded cash. POFCs Rannacher and Erby immediately began a search of the nearby area and were able to locate the suspect. The gun and stolen cash were also recovered.  

                              

District III Patrol Officers of the Month

Police Officer Tyrone Stevenson

Police Officer First Class Michael Powers

On February 15, 2015, Police Officer First Class Michael Powers and Police Officer Tyrone Stevenson were on patrol in the area of Kent Town Drive and Virginia Avenue in Landover. The officers struck up a conversation with three occupants of a parked car. That’s when the patrol officers detected the odor of marijuana coming from the car. One of the men admitted the group had just smoke marijuana.  A search of the car revealed a loaded gun under the driver’s seat. Two additional fully-loaded magazines were found in the trunk.

  District IV Patrol Officer of the Month

Police Officer Matthew Dunford

On February 21, 2015, Police Officer Matthew Dunford conducted a traffic on Branch Avenue in Temple Hills.  When Officer Dunford approached the driver, he saw an open alcohol container in the car and detected a strong odor of burning marijuana. When back up officers arrived, the car was searched. A fully-loaded handgun was found under the driver’s seat. Cocaine was also recovered. The driver was arrested. 

 District V Patrol Officers of the Month

Police Officer First Class Christian Payamps

Police Officer Jason Carter

Police Officer First Class Christian Payamps and Police Officer Jason Carter responded to the 7900 block of Clendinnen Drive in Clinton for the report of a shooting.  As the first officers to arrive on the scene, they found two people lying in the driveway with gunshot wounds. One victim had been shot in the leg, the second had a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The officers quickly assessed the situation and determined the victim shot in the leg was bleeding profusely and time was of the essence. The patrol officers grabbed a department-issued trauma kit and applied a tourniquet to the leg wound, likely helping save the victim’s life.

District VI Patrol Officers of the Month

Police Officer Stanley Williams 

Police Officer Lisa Whitlow

   

On February 2, 2015, Police Officers Stanley Williams and Lisa Whitlow were called to a home in Beltsville to assist the Prince George’s County Office of the Sheriff with a felony warrant service. When the patrol officers received the call, they immediately recognized the address. They had been to the home before and had had several interactions with a resident who suffers from mental health issues.  The resident had previously assaulted police officers and had made threats against officers.  The suspect refused to open the door for the warrant service. As a barricade was being initiated, Police Officers Stanley Williams and Lisa Whitlow were able to safely maneuver to a position behind cover and start a dialogue with the suspect. The officers were able to then persuade the man to safely surrender.