BANGOR, Maine — Two local men in blue entered a burning building to save the people inside, two others saved the life of a man trying to kill himself, and another revived a man who collapsed at the airport.
All five Bangor police officers, and two civilians who helped police defuse potentially life-threatening situations, have been honored for their bravery and courage.
The Maine Association of Police, at its annual banquet Saturday in Portland, recognized the men for their heroism and lifesaving skills.
Two officers, Richard Polk and Jason Stuart, and Franklin resident Willie Dhority were given Heroism Awards.
Polk and Stuart were on patrol during the early hours of June 26, 2008, in the area of Garland Street when Polk noticed a suspicious-looking light that turned out to be a fire at a residence.
“They were able to notify and evacuate the occupants of the residence within 2½ minutes of finding the fire,” stated a press release from Sgt. Paul Edwards. “Both officers then continued to attempt to extinguish the fire but when those attempts failed, they both removed containers of flammable liquids which were in close prox-imity to the fire in order to minimize potential hazards.”
Polk and Stuart “acted admirably, and their actions reflect positively, not just on themselves, but on this agency.”
Dhority was in Bangor for a doctor’s appointment on Jan. 20, 2008, when he heard screaming coming from one of the examination rooms that turned out to be knife-wielding man attempting to stab a woman, Edwards said Monday.
“Without hesitation Dhority grabbed this person, forced him to drop the knife and wrestled him to the ground” and held him until police arrived, he said. “It was quite a deal.”
He “acted with calmness and determination” to defuse what was a life-threatening ordeal, the press release states. His actions are described as “heroic.”
Three Bangor officers, Mike Jewett, Chris Blanchard and Russell Twaddell, were given Life Saving Awards.
Jewett and Blanchard “located and saved the life of a suicidal person,” Edwards said. “He had indicated to family members that he was going to hang himself.”
Within six minutes of getting the emergency call, and after checking a couple locations, the officers found the man hanging by a noose from a tree.
“By standing on Officer Jewett’s back, Officer Blanchard was able to reach just high enough to cut the noose,” the press release states. “Because of their immediate response, their belief in the seriousness of the threat, their quick thinking, efforts, and immediate action, a tragedy was averted.”
Twaddell was patrolling Bangor International Airport when he noticed a man lying facedown on the floor. Twaddell’s quick actions to revive him, using an automatic external defibrillator and CPR, saved his life, Edwards said.
“Your poise, professionalism and ability to handle this incident helped to define you both as a person and as a law enforcement officer,” Police Chief Ron Gastia said of Twaddell. “I appreciate your efforts and commend you for performing your duties with such a high degree of excellence.”
The final local award during the MAP event was given to Bangor resident Evan Antworth, who helped police capture a domestic abuse suspect with a history of violence.
Antworth was given the James Durant Community Service Award and during the event, Gastia made this statement: “On behalf of the Bangor Police Department and the city of Bangor, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance. As the chief of police, it is both refreshing and reassuring to know that I work for a community where people like you are willing to get involved in order to help the police or someone else in need. Thank you for supporting the Police Department in its efforts to make our community a safer place to live and work.”
In addition to the valor awards, Detective Larry Morrill was named the local Officer of the Year for his work with the police union assisting fellow officers.