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Detective Robert Hogan In September of 2006, Detective Robert Hogan and Detective Oren Wright were assigned to a Federal Gang Task Force to combat the ongoing violent gang problem in the city of Lynn. The “Deuce Boyz” Gang was the target of their investigation. “Deuce Boyz” gang members have been involved with many shootings, stabbings, and other violent assaults, and are suspected of causing several unsolved murders in Lynn. The “Deuce Boyz” Gang has over 100 members, and no one has ever testified against them in their ten years of existence. Detective Hogan and Detective Wright worked fulltime, developing key informants that were able to make numerous gun and drug buys from “Deuce Boyz” Gang members. During this nine month investigation, 574 grams of crack cocaine, 229 grams of heroin, seven guns, and over $35,000.00 was seized. The investigation resulted in the arrest of seventeen (17) “Deuce Boyz” Gang members and associates, with the majority being charged in Federal Court. Most of these Federally-charged individuals are looking at a 10-20 year mandatory sentence. Because of the dedication and professionalism displayed by Detective Hogan and Detective Wright during this investigation, seventeen extremely violent individuals were taken off the streets of Lynn. It is unknown how many shootings, robberies and other crimes have been prevented as a result of their hard work. As a result of their efforts, Detective Hogan and Detective Wright have already been recognized by the Massachusetts State Police and will receive the Superintendent’s Unit Citation Award.
Officer John Harkness On October 12, 2007, at 0223 hours, Lynn Dispatch received a 911 call from 50 Western Avenue, which is the location of the 7 Eleven Store. The 911 line was open, with no response. Officer David Woumn received the call, and quickly advised Dispatch to send a cruiser to that location before entering the call into the CAD system, since he felt that an immediate dispatch was vital in a possible emergency situation. Officer John Harkness and Officer William Rogers (Car 16) received the call while on patrol in that area, and responded to the 7 Eleven. Upon arrival, the officers observed the clerk behind the counter struggling with a female party, who was wearing dark glasses and a hood pulled over her head, while clutching a handful of money. Officer Harkness ran behind the counter and immediately assisted the clerk. Officer Rogers then pulled the suspect’s arm forward, and observed that she was holding a handgun that was now pointed directly at him. Officer Rogers forcefully directed the barrel of the gun towards the ceiling and both officers were then able to force the weapon from the suspect’s hand. She was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the station. Because of the immediate and decisive action taken by Officer Woumn, and the subsequent heroic efforts by Officer Harkness and Officer Rogers, an armed suspect was quickly apprehended without injury to the public or to the officers on the scene.
Detective Geovanni Ruano On May 9, 2007, at approximately 1533 hours, Detective Geovanni Ruano observed a group of Crip Gang members walking on High Rock Street, towards Rockaway Street. Several of the individuals that Detective Ruano was watching were suspected of committing at least two shootings within the prior week, including the shooting of a member of the Soldiers, a rival gang. After Detective Ruano saw the group of Crip Gang members walk past a house on High Rock Street, he then spotted a male party, who is a known member of the Soldiers Gang, exit the yard holding a handgun. This individual started walking toward the group of Crip Gang members from behind at a rapid pace. Detective Ruano knew that this individual was very likely to shoot at the Crip Gang members, and immediately drove towards the Soldiers Gang member, stopping approximately ten feet away from him. The suspect then turned his attention away from the rival Crip Gang members, and pointed the handgun at Detective Ruano, who was still in his unmarked cruiser. Detective Ruano tactically rolled out of his vehicle, and took cover behind it. He then ordered the suspect to drop his weapon, but he refused to comply, and began running through the yards on High Rock Street. After broadcasting a description of the suspect to all Lynn Units, Detective Ruano began a foot pursuit. After several minutes, the fleeing individual was found hiding in a back yard on the street, and was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the station by responding officers. The suspect’s weapon, which was soon located in the immediate area by responding officers, was a 380 caliber semi-automatic handgun, loaded with six rounds.
On September 7, 2007, at 0335 hours, Officer Paul Cotter and Officer Edward Monahan (Car 14) responded to a house fire at a multi-family home on Lyman Street. Upon arrival, the officers observed the front of the building fully engulfed in flames. Both officers immediately entered the rear of the house to clear the dwelling of its occupants. They were joined several minutes later by Sergeant Christopher Kelly (S2) and Officer Alvin Wolfe (Car 10). As the house continued to fill with smoke, the officers made a search of the entire building looking for residents that might still be inside. They encountered heavy smoke and fire on the third floor, causing them to crawl on the floor while checking that area. After clearing the third floor, the officers proceeded to the second floor apartment, where they found a group of people, including three children still sleeping. They immediately woke up the residents and assisted in getting them out of the building to safety. A total of twelve people were rescued by these officers before Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene.
Protected fellow officers from armed & dangerous individual Officer Michael McHale On June 3, 2007, at 0304 hours, several Morning Division units responded to a Grant Street address after Lynn Control received a report of a fight. Upon arrival, Officer David Spelta (Car 8) found the male victim outside in front of the building, with three stab wounds to the back and neck. Officer Christopher Hagerty, Officer Michael McHale, and Officer John McKenna also arrived at the scene, and were approached by a witness, who said that the stabbing took place during a party, inside the first floor apartment. The witness also stated that he could identify the suspect. The officers then entered the apartment where they encountered several people, including the suspect’s girlfriend. She told the officers that her boyfriend had left the area. The officers on the scene conducted a protective sweep of the apartment and were able to locate the male suspect, who was hiding in a pantry area off the kitchen. He was then brought into the kitchen, but began to fight when Officer Spelta, Officer McKenna and Officer Hagerty attempted to handcuff him. At that point, Officer McHale observed the suspect’s girlfriend arm herself with a large knife, raise it above her shoulder with an aggressive overhand grip, and move towards the other officers, who had their backs to her. Officer McHale ordered her to drop the knife, and then quickly placed himself between the officers and the armed woman. As he tried to subdue her, he received a small cut on his finger, but was able to grab her arm. The woman still refused to drop the knife, and continued to struggle, swinging the knife to the floor. After the male suspect had been cuffed, Officer Spelta and Officer Hagerty were able to assist Officer McHale with the armed woman, who continued to ignore all verbal commands by the officers to drop the knife. Officer Spelta and Officer Hagerty were forced to pry the weapon from the woman’s hand as Officer McHale held on to her, and they were then finally able to subdue her. The male suspect and his girlfriend were subsequently taken into custody and transported to the station for booking. Officer McHale exhibited the highest level of professionalism and dedication to duty as he disregarded his own personal safety to protect his fellow officers from an armed and dangerous individual. Officer Hagerty, Officer McKenna, and Officer Spelta were able to locate the suspect of a stabbing, take him into custody, and provide assistance to Officer McHale as he struggled with the suspect’s armed and violent girlfriend.
Sergeant James Flynn On May 19, 2007, at 0106 hours, Lynn Control received a 911 call from the 7-11 on Essex Street. The caller stated that a woman had run into the store and reported that there was a man with a gun at Chestnut and Mason Streets. Within minutes, several Division Units responded to the area. The female victim described the male suspect as wearing a red hooded jacket and stated that he had pulled a gun in an attempt to rob her. She reported that when she fled on foot, he fired a single round from his handgun in her direction. Sergeant James Flynn observed a person fitting the description of the suspect in the area of Ashton Terrace. Sergeant Flynn immediately exited his cruiser and ordered the male party to remove his hands from his pockets. The suspect refused to comply with the order, and then fled into a Chestnut Street backyard, with Sergeant Flynn in foot pursuit. After a brief struggle, the suspect was subdued by Sergeant Flynn, and subsequently taken into custody. During the course of the foot pursuit, the suspect tossed a .380 handgun over a fence, which was later recovered. The male suspect was later identified as a Soldier Gang member who had been previously linked to a threat to shoot a Lynn Police officer. Sergeant Flynn’s quick decisive and response, with disregard for his own personal safety, led to the arrest of an armed and dangerous individual.
Officer Michael Kmiec On March 26, 2007, at approximately 1946 hours, Officer Michael Kmiec was on routine patrol when he observed a fire at the Hess Gas Station on Liberty Street. Officer Kmiec immediately radioed this information to the police station and requested that the Lynn Fire Department respond. Upon closer examination, Officer Kmiec observed a male party standing at the gasoline pumps with a gas hose in his hands and his shirt engulfed in flames and immediately realized that the man had set himself on fire. The officer quickly ran to the individual, and rolled him over on the ground to extinguish the flames. The victim had no car, and it appeared that he was attempting to commit suicide. The distraught individual had doused the ground beneath him with gasoline and ignited it, and was in the process of spraying himself with the gasoline as well, when Officer Kmiec raced to his aid. The victim was then transported to Mass General Hospital for treatment. Officer Kmiec acted quickly and decisively, disregarding his own personal safety to come to the aid of this troubled individual, and also preventing what could have been a much more tragic event. Due to the officer’s heroic actions, the victim only suffered minor burns to his hands, chest, and face; and there was no harm to anyone else on the scene.
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