Suozzi honors Bayside’s 111th Precinct police
offi cers who have displayed exemplary heroism
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Congressman Tom Suozzi
last week recognized two
Queens police officers for their
display of exemplary heroism
in the line of duty in service
to their communities at a ceremony
held outside of the Glen
Cove Police Department.
“Every day, 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, members of our
local police departments are
protecting us, and serving
us. Some days are uneventful.
Other days are full of danger.
And then there are the days
when their dedication to their
jobs leads them to perform extraordinary
acts of heroism,”
Suozzi said. “Today we are
highlighting just a few police
officers that represent the
good work done members of
our local police departments
every day, and we say, ‘thank
you.’”
Police officers Michael Ippolito
and Lauren Creighton
of Bayside’s NYPD 111th Precinct
were honored with a flag
that was flown over the U.S.
Capitol, as well as a Congressional
citation, for saving a
13-month-old infant’s life on
Dec. 27.
Ippolito and Creighton
were on patrol duty when the
mother of the infant called to
say that her son had stopped
breathing, while she was driving
on the Cross Island Parkway.
The officers conducted
a canvas of a portion of the
parkway. When they found
the infant, he was unconscious,
unresponsive and not
breathing.
Ippolito immediately began
to administer air to the infant
via an airbag attached to
the infant’s trach-tube while
Creighton coordinated emergency
personnel. The infant
regained consciousness and
was transported to the hospital
by ambulance. He made a
full recovery.
For their efforts, Ippolito
and Creighton were nominated
by the 111th Precinct for the
NYPD Cop of the Year Award.
Suozzi also honored three
other law enforcement officers,
one each from Nassau
County Police Department,
Suffolk County Police Department,
and the Glen Cove Police
Congressman Tom Suozzi (c.) honors law enforcement officers from Glen Clove, Nassau County, Suffolk County and Queens, who
displayed exemplary heroism in the line of duty in service to their communities. Photo courtesy of Congressman Tom Suozzi’s offi ce
Department describing the officers’
exemplification of bravery.
The congressman was
joined by Nassau County Executive
Laura Curran, NYPD
Captain John Portalatin from
Bayside’s 111th Precinct,
NCPD Commissioner Pat
Ryder, SCPD Commissioner
Geraldine Hart, Glen Cove PD
Chief William Whitton, and
Glen Cove Mayor Tim Tenke,
Police officer Keith Owens,
a five-year veteran of the Nassau
County Police Department
who is assigned to the Sixth
Precinct, was honored for apprehending
a suspect who
fired gun shots at Americana
Manhasset last month.
The callers reported multiple
shots and many of the
stores went into full lockdown.
Owens rushed to the
scene to assess the situation
and eliminate any ongoing
threats to human life. One
witness was able to identify
the shooter who fled on
foot, and Owens chased after
the subject and ultimately
apprehended him.
At the same time, other Nassau
County officers discovered
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | SEPT. 4-SEPT. 10, 2020
six spent .380 shell casings and
a car that had been struck by
two bullets. The gun involved
in the shooting and traceable
to the perpetrator was
found near the area where the
shooting took place.
Christopher Jablonski, was
named Suffolk County Cop of
the Month in June, after he
saved a drowning victim in
the frigid water in the vicinity
of the Cold Spring Harbor boat
ramp.
Jablonski had received a
report on March 25 that someone
was drowning in the water,
who was about 150 to 200
feet out.
Jablonski found a small
boat and rowed out to the
victim, using his hands as
paddles. He was not able to
pull the victim into the boat,
nor was he able to row back to
shore with the victim clinging
to the boat.
The victim was showing
signs of hypothermia, so
Jablonski jumped into the water
to save the victim. Rescue
personnel on shore were able
to throw a rescue line once the
officer and victim were within
40 to 50 feet of the shoreline.
The victim was transported
to a local hospital where his
core temperature was below
the threshold for hypothermia.
Jablonski willingly and
selflessly put his own safety
at risk in order to save the
victim.
In 2019, a record number of
New York police officers committed
suicide. But thanks to
the efforts of Police Officer
Darren Pittman of the Glen
Clove Police Department, this
instance did not result in an
even higher number.
Pittman is currently receiving
treatment and intervention
from his command, after
helping a fellow officer whom
he believed was depressed and
had thoughts of suicide.
On Nov. 9, at 4:20 a.m. Pittman
received a distressing
text from the off-duty Nassau
County police officer who lives
in Glen Cove.
He immediately called the
officer and the Glen Cove Police
Department for backup as
he drove to the Nassau officer’s
home in his private vehicle.
Pittman found the officer
sitting in a vehicle with his
off-duty handgun in his hand
and his duty weapon on the
front seat. When Pittman realized
that the Nassau officer
was ready to take his life, he
lunged for the gun and wrestled
it away from the officer.
The officer then became hostile,
but was subsequently subdued
by the responding officers
and taken to the hospital
for evaluation.
Curran said they owe the
police officers a tremendous
debt of gratitude for often putting
the public’s safety before
their own.
“Our brave police men and
women put their lives at risk
every day in order to protect
our communities. Nassau
County Police have shown
time and time again that they
take their oath of duty seriously
and work hard to understand
and respect the communities
they serve,” Curran
said.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4526.
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