New Berlin Police Salutes Brave Officers During Police Week

NEW BERLIN, WI—To help celebrate National Police Week (May 9-15), New Berlin Police Department recognized several officers who earned awards in 2020 on social media.

Due to the pandemic, they were not able to be formally recognized at the annual awards ceremony in person.

On July 5, 2020, Officer Helm and his canine partner, Askan, were called to assist the Waukesha Police Department with a domestic abuse incident where the suspect threatened his family with a handgun and then barricaded himself inside his residence, according to police.

Officer Helm and Askan were part of a response team behind an armored car when the suspect began shooting from a second floor window, striking the armored vehicle in the windshield and narrowly missing Officer Helm and Askan, police said. Officers returned fire and the suspect retreated further info the home and took his own life.

"For his actions that day, Helm was awarded the Meritorious Award from the Wisconsin Professional Police Officers' Association, the Medal of Valor from Waukesha PD and the Combat Cross from the New Berlin Police Department," police said.

New Berlin Police saluted Officers J.J. Ament and Josh Ledzian who received the New Berlin Police Department's Medal of Honor for their actions on April 15, 2020. They were with a prisoner at a local hospital, awaiting medical clearance when they were alerted to the fact that a man armed with a gun was in the hospital parking lot heading towards the emergency room, police said.

Ament and Ledzian worked with other officers and hospital security staff to lock down the hospital and then formed an arrest team to locate the subject and prevent him from entering the building, police said.

The Medal of Honor is awarded to an officer who risks his life in the face of known peril by acting immediately without consideration for his personal safety to affect the safety of another.

Sgt. Mike Saddy was on vacation with his family on July 28, 2020, when he heard a loud commotion and then looked around to see that two young children had been run over by a golf cart and were trapped underneath it.

One of the children was bleeding profusely and one was not breathing.

Saddy acted quickly and calmly and used his first aid skills to apply pressure to the bleeding and then handed off that responsibility to another bystander so he could start CPR on the second child. He continued to provide first aid care until the arrival of the ambulance. Both children recovered fully, police said.

Saddy was awarded the department's Lifesaving Award, which is "awarded to an employee who takes action that results in saving the life of another person who, at the time, was under imminent peril of death or great bodily harm."

Officers Cory Hostettler, Rick Helm and Sgt. Mike Saddy all received Letters of Commendation for their actions in locating, pursuing and recovering a stolen vehicle from New Berlin on June 28th, 2020.

On that morning, several suspects in different cars came into New Berlin with the intent of taking items from cars and stealing cars. Moments after one car had been reported stolen, it was located by Hostettler and the accomplice cars started to box in Hostettler, trying to hamper his ability to follow the stolen car.

Officer Helm and Sgt. Saddy arrived in the area and a pursuit with the stolen car ensued. Ultimately, the stolen car struck stop sticks and a high risk stop was conducted after it came to a stop. The suspects were taken into custody and the car was returned to the rightful owner.

The Letter of Commendation is awarded to an employee who deserves recognition for an act or achievement that demonstrates his or her diligence and professionalism.

Officers Taylor Bignell and Brian Wallis received the Letter of Commendation for their compassionate investigation of an alleged sexual assault that occurred on September 18, 2020. Their investigation revealed that the complaint was unfounded and that the reporting victim suffered from significant mental health issues.

These two officers spent hours working with the victim and her family to come to a safe resolution, getting the woman the help that she needed.

The person's mother later sent an e-mail recognizing their job well done. In the e-mail, she described their efforts as "fantastic" and that they demonstrated patience and kindness towards her daughter.

Chief Jeff Hingiss added, "Your significant efforts exemplify the department mission, vision and values statements and are a testament to your work ethic."

The police department also congratulated Officer Crystal Halliday for the Letter of Commendation she was awarded, after a traffic stop and subsequent investigation she conducted on August 22, 2020.

After making the initial traffic stop, Halliday recognized signs of nervousness with the driver and the odor of marijuana. Her further questioning and investigation led to the recovery of multiple firearms, along with charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver, both marijuana and methamphetamines, Possession of Ecstasy, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Maintaining a Drug Trafficking Place.

During the investigation into the origin of the firearms, she was able to determine that one of them was linked to an armed robbery in Denver, Colorado.

The Letter of Commendation is awarded to an employee who deserves recognition for an act or achievement that demonstrates his or her diligence and professionalism.