Brookline Police Name Officer Of The Year, Other Award Winners

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline Police Department's awards board on Thursday handed out awards and medals to four of its own for acts of bravery and community service.

This year's Officer of the Year award was given to Patrol Officer Christopher Elcock. In a Facebook post, the police department said Elcock was recognized for taking life saving measures when a 63-year-old man was struck by a heavy duty excavator and run over by the machine's steel tracks.

Police said the officer used a tourniquet o the worker's crushed and severed leg.

Elcock also performed CPR and used a defibrillator on a restaurant worker who collapsed and became unresponsive in April 2019.

"Both these incidents called for immediate action from Officer Elcock and reliance on his training and practice to calmly handle life threatening events and provide life saving measures to these citizens," the Facebook post said.

The awards committee also awarded a Public Service Medal to Patrol Officer Brian Bridges.

The department said Bridges was recognized for his role as a Crisis Intervention Team member in helping save the life of a suicidal person. Beyond that, he has worked with the department's social worker to follow up with the person several times.

"Officer Bridges’ approach to the job represents the model of policing that the Department has been working to instill over the past several years," the post reads.

Detective Julie McDonnell also received a Public Service Medal for her work in the Domestic Violence and Juvenile Unit, which involves intervention both in schools and at home.

"Detective McDonnell has been a resource for the Department, Public Schools of Brookline, the #Brookline District Court and the community at large," the post reads. "Detective McDonnell always answers calls from officers and community members regardless of the day of the week or time of day."

Detective Lieutenant Paul Cullinane will also be recognized with a commendation medal after receiving five commendation certificates in the last year.

According to the post, Cullinane used investigative skills to identify the drivers of a rental car who were involved in a shooting in Boston. As a result, a .357 magnum firearm was uncovered and two suspects were identified.

"We hope you'll agree that these members of our Department deserve the recognition and praise bestowed upon them today," the post reads.