1998 WINNERS
New Hampshire State Trooper First Class Charles M. West of Colebrook, New Hampshire, who risked his life to bring down a gunman who had killed two state troopers, a district court judge and a newspaper editor, has been named the 1998 Police Officer of the Year by IACP and PARADE magazine.
Trooper West, 40, is the second state police officer to receive this highest national honor in law enforcement in the 33-year history of the award. (The first was Trooper Roy Boleyn of Kentucky, who was named Police Officer of the Year in 1983.)
The Police Service Awards, which include the top honor and 10 honorable mentions, were presented October 20 during IACP's annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"The real heroes were Troopers Phillips and Lord, who gave their lives in the line of duty," declared West, referring to Scott Phillips and Les Lord, who were killed by 62-year-old Carl Drega after Drega was stopped for a minor vehicle violation in August 1997.
A known troublemaker with numerous property violations, Drega then went looking for Judge Vickie Bunnell, who had obtained a restraining order against him, and shot her in the back. He next killed Dennis Joos, co-editor of The News and Sentinel in Colebrook.
When Trooper West, who was 70 miles south on a narcotics assignment, heard of the incident, he immediately headed north, arriving in Bloomfield, Vermont, where Drega had fled in a police cruiser with several police officers. "After two farmers reported seeing the cruiser on the dirt road, officers headed toward the car, with Vermont Trooper Russ Robinson in the lead with his police dog, Major, five other officers and me," West recalled.
As Drega opened fire, New Hampshire State Troopers Jeff Caulder and Robert Haase, as well as U.S. Border Patrol Agent John Pfeifer, were badly wounded. West stepped into the open and dragged Caulder from the line of fire. Next West, Fish and Game Warden Sam Sprague and Border Patrol Agent Stephen Brooks were attempting to rescue Pfeifer when Drega again opened fire. The only way to save Pfeifer was to stop Drega, and the job fell to West and Brooks. "I really don't want to do this," West said. "This is really going to sting," added Brooks. As Drega stood pinned behind a tree, West and Brooks advanced up the hill. When Drega showed himself, Brooks shot him in the jaw, and West fired a shotgun slug through his bulletproof vest, crushing his chest. With Drega dead, the two were able to get Pfeifer into a jeep.
"I sure was glad Steve Brooks was next to me," West recalled. "I couldn't have done it without him." For his extraordinary courage, Trooper West received a Medal of Valor Citation from the Department of Safety of the State of New Hampshire.
West and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Charles Jr. (Mac), 16, and Tommy, 12.
The Police Officer of the Year Award is one of 11 Police Service Awards given annually by PARADE and IACP to honor the bravery of the nation's 623,000 police officers. Ten honorable mentions will be awarded to the following officers:
- Lieutenant of Detectives Andrew F. Anewenter, 82, of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Police Department, for the outstanding service he has performed during 56 years of police work. In charge of property crimes, Anewenter works closely with the downtown business community and has received more than 100 letters of commendation;
- Officer Ray Barker Sr., 37, of the Louisville, Kentucky, Division of Police, for more than 10 years of fostering better relations between the community and the police. Known throughout the community as "Sir Friendly C," Barker performs rap songs at schools, churches and other functions to teach at-risk youngsters to avoid drugs and violence;
- Officer Timothy G. Hahn, 35, of the Madison, Wisconsin, Police Department, for killing a gunman who had shot his partner Officer Andy Garcia, when the two tried to serve him with a warrant for indecent exposure;
- Detective Robert Idle, 32, of the West Valley, Utah, Police Department, for the extraordinary courage he demonstrated after being shot repeatedly by the leader of a gang he had stopped for improper car registration. Despite severe injuries, Idle managed to shoot back, and the gang was caught after a high-speed chase by other officers;
- Officer Marshall Mack, 36, of the San Fernando, California, Police Department, for his help in apprehending four gang members who had shot and killed a 17-year-old boy, despite being shot himself;
- Detective Scott Perkins, 33, of the Orlando, Florida, Police Department, for helping to rescue a four-year-old boy and two-year-old girl from a gunman who had held them hostage for 68 hours in a locked bedroom;
- Special Agent Curt Rothacker, 46, of the Union Pacific Railroad Police in Colton, California, for mortally wounding a gunman who had robbed a convenience store and for protecting the lives of the customers and employees who were inside;
- Sergeant Peter Smolyanski, 47, of the Miami Beach, Florida, Police Department, for his part in several undercover drug investigations, which led to the apprehension of three top crime figures for drug violations, money laundering and conspiring to smuggle drugs;
- Officer Brian Tomblin, 29, of the Metro-Nashville, Tennessee, Police Department, for rescuing the driver of a burning tanker truck, which had collided with a sedan and exploded;
- Officer Gregory A. Wojcik, 31, of the Santa Rosa, California, Police Department, for saving the life of a woman being threatened by a man in a parking lot. As Wojcik approached the pair, the man pulled a gun and shot him. Even with a bullet lodged in his back, Wojcik managed to kill the gunman.
Established in 1966 by PARADE and IACP to focus attention on the dedicated men and women of our nation's police force, the Police Service Awards are given for specific acts of valor, as in the case of this year's top winner, for consistent service above and beyond the call of duty, for the development of innovative programs and for significant service to the community apart from police work.
For more information, contact Meredith Ward, staff liaison, 1-800-THE-IACP Ext. 226.