This week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that six members of the Yonkers Police Department are the recipients of the New York State Police Officer of the Year Award. Captain Andrew Lane, Detectives Kayla Maher and Dawn Lebzelter, and Officers Brendan Moore, Thomas Bennett and Vincent Reda were honored for their actions Sept. 25, 2017, when they apprehended a gunman who had shot Maher in the face at point-blank range.
“Amid chaotic gunfire, these officers diffused a potentially lethal situation and showed exemplary courage, pulling one of their injured colleagues to safety while apprehending the shooter without any loss of life,” said Cuomo. “Their actions during this shootout are representative of the bravery New Yorkers have come to depend on to keep our neighborhoods and communities safe, and I am proud to honor them with this well-deserved award.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul presented the six officers with the award on the governor’s behalf during a ceremony last week at Yonkers City Hall. Joining her to present the award were Michael Green, executive deputy commissioner of the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and chairman of the Police Officer of the Year Selection Committee; and Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner.
Attendees included family members, friends and colleagues from the agency and law enforcement executives and officers throughout Westchester County.
“This incident could have resulted in multiple deaths had it not been for the quick thinking and decision making these officers exhibited under intense pressure,” said Hochul. “Their heroic actions not only saved the life of a fellow officer, but also lead to the safe apprehension of a gunman who was recklessly firing at them on a residential street. As New Yorkers, we are proud and fortunate to have dedicated officers like these brave six individuals who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect our safety.”
The officers are the first from the Yonkers Police Department to receive the award, which was established more than three decades ago. In nominating the officers for the honor, YPD provided the following account of the events that unfolded around 8 p.m. Sept. 25, 2017:
Maher and Lebzelter were dispatched to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked at the intersection of Marshall Road and Ridge Drive. They approached the car and while speaking briefly with an individual in the vehicle’s front seat, another individual in the back seat pulled a gun and fired at Maher, who was struck in the chin by a 0.40-caliber bullet at pointblank range.
Lebzelter returned fire along with Reda, Moore and Bennett, who had arrived on the scene as backup. Moore spotted one suspect fleeing the vehicle on foot and alerted Bennett, who safely took the man into custody while bullets were being fired in their general direction. Lebzelter, meanwhile, calmly apprised other law enforcement arriving on the scene of the gunman’s location to avoid a cross-fire situation.
Moore devised a plan to reach Maher, who had taken refuge underneath the suspect’s vehicle. Reda and Bennett laid down suppression fire that enabled Moore to reach Maher and pull her to safety. Reda, who also approached the vehicle, provided emergency medical treatment to slow Maher’s bleeding until she could be brought to the hospital.
After nearly 10 minutes of sporadic gunfire, Lane approached the vehicle and took the assailant into custody without further incident. Investigators later recovered a 0.40-caliber semi-automatic handgun on the ground near the driver’s side rear door of the vehicle, in addition to an illegal, large-capacity ammunition-feeding device.
Earlier this year, the individual was indicted and arraigned on numerous charges, including four counts of attempted aggravated murder. (End of account.)
“Words cannot adequately describe the extreme pressures our officers were under as this shootout unfolded,” said Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner. “Their decisive actions and selfless valor in the face of grave danger saved a fallen officer and brought a lethal situation to an end without the loss of life. I am extraordinarily proud of these men and women. Their heroic acts and display of bravery were in the best traditions of our noble profession and serve as an example for law enforcement officers across the State of New York.”
The Police Officer of the Year Award was first presented in 1984 and recognizes a single police officer, or team of officers, for an exceptional act of valor symbolizing the service of police in New York State.
