By Steve Jusseaume
Hampton Union, Tuesday, July 29, 2003
HAMPTON – Nine Hampton police officers were among more than 50 law enforcement officers honored this weekend at the sixth annual New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Awards ceremony held at the state Police Standards and Training Academy in Concord.
More than 450 people attended the event Sunday evening, including U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu and Congressmen Charles F. Bass and Jeb Bradley. A previously scheduled commitment prevented U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg from attending.
“It was a great time. Since we started this six years ago, it has grown to where it is becoming a nationwide program,” said Hampton Police Officer Richard Bateman.
“This awards program is not meant to replace local awards presented to officers, but a lot of small departments don’t have the mechanism to award their officers, so this takes care of that.”
The Hampton officers earned recognition in connection with two incidents, both of which occurred in August 2002.
Sgt. John Galvin, Sgt. Joe Galvin, Officer Steve Henderson, Officer John Donaldson and Officer Charles Karpenko were given Above and Beyond the Call of Duty awards for their work last year after a young woman was transported to the hospital after giving birth
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According to Bateman, the officers found out the woman had given birth only when the hospital inquired about the whereabouts of the child.
“We only thought the young lady had gone to the hospital. But once notified, the officers kept up the search on the property until one of those guys peeled back a tarpaulin and discovered the child,” Bateman recalled, noting that Officer Bates cut off his shoelace and used it to tie off the infant’s umbilical cord.
“The baby is now 1 year old and doing very well,” Henderson added.
Sgt. Franklin W. Knowles and Officers William Cronin, Scott Bates and Robert Sparks were presented Dedication and Professionalism awards for their actions last summer when a woman threatened to commit suicide on Concord Avenue.
“The woman had a knife; she threatened to kill herself. She kept saying, ‘I want to die. Shoot me,'” Henderson recalled, characterizing the incident as a “suicide by cop” situation, in which a person threatens police officers so they’ll shoot.
Eventually several officers surrounded the woman and disarmed her.
Other police officers honored were Detective Stephen J. Arnold, Detective Mark D. Newport and Sgt. Michael J. Ronchi of the Portsmouth Police Department.
In all, 54 law enforcement officers were received awards
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“This has quickly become one of the most positive nights for law enforcement in the state, and one that brings together both houses of the U.S. Congress,” said Officer Bateman, who serves on the awards committee together with Henderson, Seabrook Police Sgt. Mike Frost, Rockingham County Sheriff Dan Linehan and Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams among others.