SBA Honors 21 Sergeants For Outstanding Service

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang
A SAVE AND A HOLD: Sgts. Frank Horvath (left) and Anthony Lisi (right) are presented with trophies by Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins for saving the life of a retired NYPD Detective and arresting the man who had shot him. Retired NYPD Det. Gregory Boyle credits his guardian angel for bringing Sgt. Anthony Lisi and Sgt. Frank Horvath to his aid after a thug shot him during a brazen daylight jewelry store robbery at the Waldorf-Astoria in 2008.

He lay bleeding on the ground from a .45-caliber bullet that lodged in his back.

Was Expected to Die

“Rush the bus, he’s likely,” the call over the police radio said, indicating he might die.

The Sergeants, who rushed to the scene, performed life-saving medical aid and also arrested the gunman.

“That’s what I mean when I said someone was looking out for me,” Mr. Boyle told the Daily News.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association honored these two Sergeants and 19 others as Sergeants of the Year at a ceremony in Brooklyn on Sept. 24.

Other honorees included a Sergeant who foiled a home invasion, a Sergeant who recovered a pipe bomb and a Sergeant who defused a hostage situation.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 28, 2008, Sgt. Louis Bauso and his driver responded to a location where they were confronted by an armed man who brandished a rifle and pointed it in their direction before fleeing into a nearby building. Sergeant Bauso quickly set up a perimeter and ordered responding officers to surround the building and cover the rooftop. Due to the potential for a hostage situation, a Level One Mobilization was ordered. The suspect was contained and apprehended without incident.

Thwarted Home Invasion

On the evening of May 31, 2007, Sgt. Louis Deceglie was assigned to the 47th Precinct when he and several officers responded to a radio notification of a home invasion. As they neared the location, a terrified man told them that three armed, masked men were still inside his home with his family. The officers tactically approached the house and observed three suspects exiting. A gun battle ensued, which resulted in two of the suspects being wounded and all three captured.

On the morning of Aug. 23, 2009, Sgt. Glen Amico and his driver observed an elderly man clinging to the rocks of a Coney Island beach that was closed due to high winds and waves from Hurricane Bill. Realizing the terrified man was about to lose his grip, the officers removed their police belts and bullet-resistant vests, entered the rough waters, and pulled the man to safety. The officers have since described the waves as the strongest they have ever seen.

On Oct. 7, 2008, Sgt. John Flynn and several Police Officers observed a man strike a department auto with his vehicle and flee the scene. They followed the suspect and placed him under arrest after a fierce struggle. While conducting an inventory search of his vehicle, they discovered a 13- inch pipe bomb inside. The Emergency Services Unit and the Bomb Squad responded to the precinct, where they removed the incendiary device and safely delivered it to the Outdoor Range.

Retired Sgt. Teams in Save

On Jan. 29 of this year, retired Sgt. John Logan, who last worked in the Staten Island Task Force, observed a man fall onto the tracks at the Great Kills Station of the Staten Island Railway. After jumping on the track to assist the victim, he was helped by offduty Sgt. Kenneth Granowski of the Staff Services Section who had just entered the station and observed the commotion. Working together, the two managed to pull the man to safety just seconds before the train roared into the station.

On Oct. 15, 2008, Sgt. Anthony Guadagno and two officers responded to a report of a stranded swimmer in Coney Island. They observed two fully-clothed men flailing in the choppy surf about 40 yards from shore. The officers removed their gun belts and bullet-resistant vests, dived into the perilous surf, and pulled one man to safety. Police divers rescued the other swimmer moments later.

On the evening of April 6, 2009, Sgt. Sean O’Brien was supervising a buyand bust operation in the 79th Precinct when he and his team noticed two suspicious males, one of whom appeared to be armed. After a foot chase, a violent struggle ensued. A suspect removed a gun from his waistband, which caused Sergeant O’Brien to fire his weapon and wound the suspect. He sustained minor head injuries during the fracas with the suspect, who had several outstanding Federal warrants.

An Amazing Return to Duty

After being seriously injured in a 2004 motorcycle accident, Sgt. John Paolucci was told that he might never walk again. Vowing to defy the odds, he made a miraculous recovery, which resulted in him receiving the Theodore Roosevelt Award for overcoming a debilitating physical condition. Earlier this summer, he again defied the odds and fulfilled a longtime ambition by training for and participating in an NYPD boxing match where he defeated an opponent who was not only more experienced, but also 6 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier.

Retired Sgt. Timothy Deevy, Sgt. Thomas Gagliardi, Sgt. Sean Lynch, Sgt. Richard Mack, Sgt. Michael McGuiness, Sgt. Michael Raso, Sgt. Fabian Sanchez, Sgt. Timothy Smith, Sgt. Sheival Surujballi and Sgt. Kenneth Winters were also honored.