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Jynx, K-9 Partner to Kyle Pagerly,Will Always Remain a Hero

Jynx, the K-9 partner of Kyle Pagerly, was retired to his family, but makes appearances from time-to-time to help raise money for the Kyle Pagerly Memorial Fund. Jynx made a nationwide appearance on October 6, 2012 when he, along with seven other hero dog finalists, made their way to Hollywood, California to learn which hero dog would be named 2012 American Hero Dog by the American Humane Association. Each hero dog finalist was named as top dog in one of eight different categories and won $5,000 each for a named charity partner. Jynx, winner of the law enforcement category, named K9s4Cops as his charity partner.

In support of Alecia Pagerly and Jynx, Sheriff Weaknecht and his wife Jessica traveled to California to attend the banquet where the winner of the 2012 American Hero Dog was announced. Unfortunately, Jynx did not receive the highest number of on-line votes to be named the winner, but he will always be a hero to the members of the Berks County Sheriff’s Department and to the citizens of the Berks County community who view Jynx as a symbol of strength, perseverance and advocate for law enforcement agencies nationwide.The Beaver County Sheriff’s Office announces the retirement of two K-9’s and their replacements.

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August of this year Beaver County Sheriff George David announces the retirement of two K-9’s in the same month. Bak a dual purpose explosives detection K-9 and Marko a dual purpose narcotics detection K-9 have patrolled their last shifts.

Bak an 8 year old German Shepherd and his handler Corporal Joe O’Sche have been Patrolling together since the summer of 2006 and were assigned to the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division. Cpl. O’Sche and Bak worked many high profile events including the G-20 Summit and Major League Baseball All-Star Game in the city of Pittsburgh along with safeguarding numerous dignitaries that visited Beaver County including Former Presidents Bush and Clinton along with current president Obama.
Marko a 9 year old German Shepherd and his handler Sgt. Rich Yonlisky also started in the summer of 2006 and were assigned to the Patrol Division working the midnight shift. Marko was responsible for the forfeiture of thousands of dollars in illegal drugs and U.S. currency along with many street and tracking apprehensions.
Both dogs did an outstanding job for the Sheriff’s Office and citizens of Beaver County and should be commended, said Sheriff David.

Marko was replaced by Flint a 19 month old Belgian Malinois who is crossed trained in Narcotics Detection and Patrol. Flint was assigned to and trained by Sgt. Yonlisky and they are currently assigned to the Patrol Division and working the midnight shift.

Bak’s replacement Tron a 16 month old German Shepherd is currently in training at the City of Pittsburgh Police K-9 Training Academy and will be cross trained in Explosive Detection and Patrol. Tron is assigned to Cpl. O’Sche and also a part of Region 13 Task Force. Upon completion of their training Cpl. O’Sche and Tron will be assigned to work with the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division.

Sergeant Rich (Skitch) YonliskyHelp fallen Deputy Pagerly's K-9 Jynx be chosen as the American Hero Dog for 2012 VOTE NOW!!!

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K-9 Hero Dog Nominee – American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards to be held October 6, 2012.

JYNX, the K-9 partner of fallen Sheriff Deputy Kyle Pagerly, Berks County, Pennsylvania, was voted top-dog in his category and is now one of eight finalists to be named American Hero Dog for 2012 by the American Humane Association. JYNX and his collar-leagues (colleagues) will each be presented with $5,000 for a designated charity partner on October 6, 2012 during a ceremony in Beverly Hills, California. JYNX’s charity partner is K9s4Cops. Should JYNX be chosen American Hero Dog for 2012, K9s4Cops will receive an additional $10,000! The nonprofit K9s4Cops has a mission "to ensure that every law enforcement officer in need of a K-9 has one at their side, well trained and ready for action."

The American Hero Dog winner will be selected by the number of on-line votes received.

We in law enforcement believe K-9 heroes are a breed above other canine heroes because K-9 heroes bravely allow their human partners to send them into life-threatening situations and will sacrifice themselves to protect the lives of their human partners and the public at large.

On June 29, 2011, during a routine warrant delivery, JYNX alerted Sheriff Deputy Kyle Pagerly to a hill where an assailant lay, armed and waiting to ambush. That alert is credited with saving the lives of other deputy sheriffs on their way to assist. JYNX charged the hill as the sniper rose and began firing. Deputy Pagerly was shot seconds before JYNX got a bite on the assailant. JYNX’s actions not only flushed out the assailant -- thus adding precious seconds as assisting deputies arrived -- but he also desperately worked to drag Deputy Pagerly and another officer out of harm’s way during ensuing gunfire that ended when the assailant was killed. Deputy Pagerly died later that night, but if not for the swift and heroic efforts of K-9 JYNX, many other officers would have also been killed.

To vote for JYNX to become American Hero Dog for 2012, log onto www.herodogawards.org and cast your vote. One vote per e-mail address per day is permitted. Please encourage friends and family to do the same.

Beth Appleby

Chief Deputy Sheriff completes training with honors

Greene County Chief Deputy Sheriff Lisa Sowden recently completed 760 hours of Deputy Sheriff’s Training and received her Act 2 certification from Penn State University.

For receiving the highest overall score in each training subject, Sowden earned the Overall Best Student Achievement Award.

Sowden’s basic training consisted of the following subjects: Introduction to Criminal Justice, Unified Court System of Pennsylvania, Civil Law and Procedure, Crimes Code and Criminal Procedure, Other Legal Issues, Court Security, Prisoner Transport, First Aid/CPR and EMR, Crisis Intervention, Families in Crisis, Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Less than Lethal Weapons, Emergency Vehicle Operations, Communications, Ethics and Professional Development, Technology and Law Enforcement, Physical Conditioning, Cultural Diversity, State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training, Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code, Motor Vehicle Collision Investigation/Hazardous Material, Patrol Procedures and Operations and Principles of Criminal Investigations.

Sowden also received certifications in Flying While Armed, Standard Field Sobriety Testing Practitioner and Sobriety Checkpoint.

Pictured is Jack Dolan, president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, presenting Greene County Chief Deputy Sheriff Lisa Sowden with her Overall Best Student Achievement Award.

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The Constitutional Authority of the Office of The Sheriff

Below is link to an article that definitively explains the constitutional authority of The Office of The Sheriff and why it cannot be abrogated by anyone other than by the citizens

To view blog click the link below:  
http://amicus-curious.com/2012/06/02/vitae-republicae-the-life-of-the-republic/

Thanks,
Jim Lee 

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Deputy Charles Wagg Retires from the Montco Sheriff's Office

Congrats to Deputy Charles Wagg on his retirement from the Montco, PA Sheriff’s Dept. after over 12 yrs of service!

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COUNTY'S K-9S TRAIN FOR SUCCESS

By Jenny Wagner
Sunday, March 18, 2012

Within a moment's notice, a police dog could be called upon to assist in criminal investigations, searches or crowd-control situations.

To stay prepared, K-9 handlers from the Beaver County Sheriff's Office and several local departments, including Ambridge, New Castle and Aliquippa, meet with their canine counterparts every couple of weeks to train and reinforce their skills.

"You have to train a lot; it's real intense," said Sgt. Rich Yonlisky, who handles Marko, one of the sheriff's department's three police dogs.

Many dogs, including Marko and Deputy Sheriff James Brown's K-9, Ciro, receive commands from their handlers in German, Czechoslovakian or other eastern European languages.

The group of area handlers gather at Bradys Run Park in Brighton Township and other locations throughout the county to work with their K-9 units on searching for and apprehending suspects, biting and letting go upon command and protecting their handlers.

Like the majority of police dogs, Marko and Ciro are dual purpose K-9s, which means they can perform a specialized task, such as narcotics or explosives searches, as well as track suspects and work on patrol.

Brown said the dual purpose K-9 unit's additional skills require life-long training. "That's why it's difficult to be a dual-purpose dog; they have to be good at everything," he said.

Yonlisky, who has been a K-9 handler since 1996, said European breeds often are preferred because they are mild-tempered and possess a variety of traits.

"They are the all-around athlete of the dog world," he said.

Marko and Ciro are German Shepherds, which is one of the most common breeds used in police work. The Ambridge Police Department's K-9 unit, Hector, is a Belgian Malinois, another common type of police dog.

Though the police dogs are trained to complete various tasks based on their assigned jobs, the most important thing they all must learn is obedience, Yonlisky said.

"Some dogs are a little bit easier to train; some are more energetic," Yonlisky said. "They're like people, they all have their own personalities."

Yonlisky said another important aspect of the K-9 unit's job is not something that can be taught -- a connection between the dog and his handler.

"You spend more time with them than you do with anyone or anything on the planet," Yonlisky said. "The bond is unbreakable."

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PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, February 19, 2012

As a high-speed police chase wound through the hills of northeastern West Virginia and into Greene County early Saturday, Monongalia County deputy sheriff Sgt. Michael T. May positioned his marked sport utility vehicle on Interstate 79 in Perry, Greene County, apparently hoping to halt the pursuit, police said.

The chase, lasting nearly 30 minutes and stretching for nearly a dozen miles, ended in a violent crash that killed May, a 10-year department veteran. State police said Jerod A. Green, of Morgantown, W.Va., was under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs when his truck slammed into May's vehicle.
May died yesterday morning in Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

"This isn't going to be a one-day or a one-week thing," Monongalia County Sheriff Al Kisner said he told his officers yesterday afternoon. "It's going to be painful for a while, and we all have to come together and help each other through this. We didn't lose only an employee; we lost a friend."

Police charged Green, 35, formerly of Oklahoma, with murder of a law enforcement officer, criminal homicide, drunken driving and related offenses in May's death.

As police led Green, clad in jeans and a hospital gown, from state police barracks in Waynesburg yesterday afternoon, he told WPXI-TV: "I didn't mean to hurt anybody." He remained in the Greene County Prison, ineligible for bail.

May of Morgantown was a good deputy, said Bryon Hennessey, 41, a Morgantown police officer who grew up with him. "He was well-liked by his fellow officers, well-respected in this community. He was just one of those guys you just can't say anything bad about," Hennessey said.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, West Virginia troopers investigated a hit-and-run accident near Morgantown about 12:50 a.m., in which Green was a suspect.

Nearly 20 minutes later, Granville, W.Va., police pulled over Green's pickup truck on Route 100; Monongalia County Deputy David Wilfong also arrived. Kisner said Green refused to get out of the pickup, and when Wilfong reached into the truck to turn off its ignition, Kisner said, Green sped away.

Police said they pursued Green onto Route 19 in Greene County; he drove through Mt. Morris and entered the southbound lanes of Interstate 79, about a mile north of the West Virginia line.

Pennsylvania Trooper Robert H. Cree said May drove north on the interstate and positioned his vehicle in the median between the northbound and southbound lanes. Kisner believed May had hoped to get in front of Green and end the chase. "Interviews with witnesses indicate that the defendant, at a high rate of speed, appeared to have steered his vehicle ... into (May's), which at the time of the collision had its emergency lights activated," Cree wrote in a criminal complaint outlining the charges against Green. Green said he had been drinking and had taken four anti-anxiety drugs, including Lithium and Zoloft, Cree added. Green's blood-alcohol level was not available.

Cree said Green, who said he was in West Virginia to work in the Marcellus shale gas drilling industry, did not make any statements about the 1:40 a.m. crash.

According to online Oklahoma court records, Green said in 2007 that he had been under treatment for bipolar disorder since 1999. The records showed that he had three convictions for drunken driving in Oklahoma and one for public intoxication. For the last conviction in 2007, he was sentenced to three years in an Oklahoma state prison.

There was no record of any other criminal charges against Green in Pennsylvania; West Virginia records were not available. Members of Green's family in Oklahoma did not return phone messages or emails yesterday seeking comment. May's parents, Franklin and Catherine May, and his younger brother, also Franklin, could not be reached for comment. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Hennessey and Tammy Urick, a secretary in the detective's division of the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department, said May, who was single, enjoyed hunting, fishing, riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and spending time at a family cabin in Elkins, W.Va.

Kisner said May spent most of his career with the sheriff's department, working afternoon and overnight patrols. Previously, he was a corrections officer in Berkeley County, W.Va.
Urick said May was active in community outreach programs, including taking children shopping for clothing and distributing Thanksgiving baskets.

"He loved doing things with family and friends," Urick said. "He was always happy and upbeat."
Hennessey said law enforcement officers in West Virginia will have to weather a significant loss.
"It just crushes you. How else can you say it?" he said. "I will just put my wholehearted faith in (the Pennsylvania State Police) and prosecutors. I know the outcome will be the best we can hope for. They will serve justice."
Green's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27.

Bill Vidonic can be reached at bvidonic@tribweb.com or 412-480-7306.

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United States Marshal - Chatman shoots and kills another man

United States Marshal Martin J. Pane announced today that the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Vaughn Chatman, a 46 year-old man originally from Atlanta, GA.

Chatman was being sought by the Atlanta Police Department for a murder that occurred in their jurisdiction on November 13, 2011. In an affidavit presented to Fulton County (GA) Magistrate Judge Sterling Eaves on December 12, 2011, Atlanta police officers alleged that Chatman shot another man in the back several times, causing his death. 

The USMS Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force adopted the fugitive case immediately and Deputy U. S. Marshals began to search for Chatman. Late in the afternoon of January 18, 2012, those deputies learned that Chatman was staying in York, PA. They forwarded this information to deputies in the Harrisburg office of the USMS.

Early this morning, Deputy U. S. Marshals arrested Chatman in the900 block of East Princess Street in York. Chatman was turned over to the York County Sheriff’s Central Booking unit for arraignment as a Fugitive From Justice. 

U.S. Marshals were assisted by officers from the York City Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police and the York County Sheriff’s Department.

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Monroe County Sheriff Todd Martin gets help in his long battle with cancer

Top Photo

Monroe County Sheriff and Stroudsburg Fire Chief
Todd Martin.Pocono Record file photo

Christina Tatu

By Christina Tatu
Pocono Record Writer
January 26, 2012

When Monroe County Sheriff Todd Martin was first diagnosed with cancer in 2005, he and his family used the difficult experience to help others. His oldest daughter Karli, now 23, sold red wristbands, donating the $10,000 in proceeds to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The family also started the Sheriff Todd A. Martin Cancer Foundation, which raises money for other families struggling with the disease.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Sheriff Todd Martin Benefit Basketball Tournament/Tricky Tray

WHEN: 5 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Pocono Mountain East Junior High School.

HOW MUCH: Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students with ID.

WHAT ELSE: A baked ziti dinner will be served. Soft pretzels, candy, pizza, nachos and drinks will also be available.

CONTACTS: To make a donation to the Martin family contact pecpto@gmail.com or Sue Sebring at 570-977-4403.

HELP OTHERS: To make a donation to the Sheriff Todd A. Martin Cancer Foundation to benefit other families affected by cancer, make a check payable to Sheriff Todd A. Martin and mail it to Lois Lyon at 122 Ace Lane, Stroudsburg, PA, 18360

Now the community wants to give back to the Martins.
On Friday, a benefit will be held for Todd Martin, who is once again battling multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, and plasma cytoma, a cancer of the plasma cells.

It's been a struggle for Martin since the summer, when he learned new tumors had developed in his neck and collarbone, said his wife Terri Martin, a physical education teacher at Pocono Mountain Elementary Center.
Martin went through six weeks of daily radiation treatment and was preparing for six months of weekly chemotherapy treatment.

The powerful drugs caused adverse side effects such as gout and blood clots, which have landed Martin in the hospital four times during the last three months, Terri Martin said.
Martin was checked back into the hospital Monday after doctors discovered a blood clot in his lung. Surgery was performed to insert a special filter into his lung to stop the clot from traveling to his brain, and he is now recovering, she said, "It's like he has a smoldering cancer. It never really goes into remission because it's always in the blood or bone marrow, but it can get to the point where his numbers are really good. For seven years, he was in an area where his numbers were considered good," she explained.

The chemotherapy treatment causes blood clots, so doctors put Martin on an expensive blood thinner he administers with twice-daily injections. The cost is $10,000 a month, about 80 percent of which is covered by insurance, leaving the Martins to pay the remaining $2,000-a-month bill.

Terri Martin was explaining the costs to a member of the Pocono Elementary Center Parent Teacher Organization one day.
"She said, 'That's it, we are going to do something for you,'" Terri Martin said.
"I'm just speechless. I've already thanked everyone a million times, every time I see them."
The Martins' three children are handling things as best they can.
Their youngest daughter, Kelli, now 15 and a sophomore at Stroudsburg High School, plans to follow in her older sister Karli's footsteps.

Kelli has been selling red wristbands in her father's honor and plans to donate the proceeds to the Sheriff Todd A.Martin Cancer Foundation so the money can help another family in need. Their son, Jared, now 19, is a sophomore at Kutztown University. Martin's chemotherapy treatments have temporarily been stopped while he recovers from his surgery.

"Overall, he's been very positive, but yet, every time he hits one of these little hurdles, he has to force himself to try and stay positive because it's been such an ongoing fight," Terri Martin said.

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Police Unity Tour

Dear Sir or Madam;

I am Sergeant Matthew James Mendenhall of the Berks County Sheriff's Department warrants division. On May 9th, 2012, I will represent fallen Deputy Kyle D. Pagerly of the Berks County Sheriff's Department by riding my bicycle with the Police Unity Tour. We will ride our bicycles along varying routes, each over 300 miles to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial ( NLEOM ) in Washington DC. For this years ride, the Police Unity Tour Chapter II will have 200 law enforcement officers representing various agencies from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri, Maine and New Hampshire. Our route will take us from southern New Jersey into Delaware and Maryland and ultimately onto Washington Dc where on May 13th a candlelight vigil will be held at the Memorial. On that night, the names of the law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in 2011 will be read before a crowd of thousands.
 
The primary purpose of the Police Unity Tour is to raise awareness about the law enforcement officers that have died in the line of duty. Our motto is "We Ride For Those Who Died". The secondary purpose is to raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum. Since its inception in 1997, the Police Unity Tour has raised over 7 million dollars to support the NLEOM with 1.3 million dollars raised during last year's tour.
 
To reach our goal, each law enforcement officer riding in the tour must raise a minimum of $1,700.00. The tour provides support services such as overnight lodging and food as we ride.
 
It is because of the incredible support of my family, friends, fellow deputy's and the community that I am able to participate in the tour this year and not let the heroes who died in the line of duty be forgotten. I am asking for your financial support so that I may ride in the Police Unity Tour. Your sponsorship donation can be made by logging onto the first giving donation page at www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/matthewmendenhall
 
Thank you so very much for your consideration in supporting me to participate in the Police Unity Tour.

Sincerely,
Sergeant Matthew J. Mendenhall

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Eight Ballz & Cosmic Blast: New Synthetic 'Cocaine' on the Market

Bath salts are illegal (not that they can’t find them) but there is a new product out there called Jewelry Cleaner (synthetic cocaine).  It can be purchased at any head shop or convenience store.  I know for a fact that Sunoco on Trindle Rd in Mechanicsburg has it.   It comes as a powder in a vile.  I have an offender who used it and claims that it is far worse than bath salts.   She paid $40.00 for one pack.  

I did a routine curfew check on her on Monday night and as I entered the house she was screaming, crying and hyperventilating as well as sweating profusely and claiming demons where coming.  She later came clean with me and told me that she used jewelry cleaner.   I did some on line research on the product and two of the main effects are hallucinations and sweating.  In fact this product can make your body temperature rise to 107 degrees within hours of use and of course fry your brains.  Another offender’s mother called me and told me her daughter woke her up in the middle of the night with a meat cleaver in one hand and a steak knife in the other claiming there where people outside trying to kill her.  The mom found a package labeled “Eight Ballz glass cleaner” which is the jewelry cleaner. The two I know of are called Eight Ballz and Cosmic Blast  but I am sure there are others.   It is some nasty stuff and takes many days to come down from the high after just one use. 

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Penn State Live - Officers honored for swift, life-saving response to medical emergency dsap

Officers honored for swift, life-saving response to medical emergency

Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Description: From left, Nittany Lion Inn employee Crisoforo Sandoval, Penn State Police Office Michelle Beckenbaugh, Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department and Penn State Police Chief Tyrone Parham. Beckenbaugh and Smith helped to save Sandoval's life on Nov. 8.
Credit: Jonathan McVerry

From left, Nittany Lion Inn employee Crisoforo Sandoval, Penn State Police Office Michelle Beckenbaugh, Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department and Penn State Police Chief Tyrone Parham. Beckenbaugh and Smith helped to save Sandoval's life on Nov. 8. For more photos, click on the image above.

A group of University employees attending CPR training took a break from class on Dec. 14 to witness firsthand the importance of certification. In a ceremony held on the University Park campus, Penn State Police Officer Michelle Beckenbaugh and Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department were honored for their quick, life-saving response in a medical emergency.

On Nov. 8, Crisoforo Sandoval, an employee with Penn State Hospitality Services, went into cardiac arrest while transporting two guests from the University Park Airport to the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. The passengers were able to stop the car and called 911.

Beckenbaugh was first on the scene. She noticed Sandoval was not responding, called for backup and immediately put her first aid skills into action. Smith arrived soon after and the two officers administered CPR using chest compressions and an automated external defibrillator. The quick response and proper care kept Sandoval, who at one point had no pulse, alive.

"The training is always in the back of your mind and ready to be used," Beckenbaugh said. "It works. And to be able to see Chris stand here today, it's definitely worth it."

During the ceremony, Beckenbaugh and Smith each were awarded a certificate and a University Police department coin honoring their quick action. About 40 people were in attendance, including Sandoval's family, friends and colleagues, and University Police officers.

University Police Chief Tyrone Parham said Beckenbaugh and Smith's decisive actions and their cool, calm and collected demeanor in those first few moments were critical to Sandoval's survival.
"We've all done the training, some of us for 20 years," he said, "and it's circumstances such as this that remind us how important it is."

After the incident, Sandoval was placed into a medically induced coma and flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., where he was treated and recovered. Sandoval said he will be forever grateful to the officers who helped to save his life. He said he plans to earn CPR certification himself in the near future, and suggested that everyone who has the opportunity to earn certification should do so.

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Officers honored for swift, life-saving response to medical emergency

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

From left, Nittany Lion Inn employee Crisoforo Sandoval, Penn State Police Office Michelle Beckenbaugh, Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department and Penn State Police Chief Tyrone Parham. Beckenbaugh and Smith helped to save Sandoval's life on Nov. 8.
Credit: Jonathan McVerry

A group of University employees attending CPR training took a break from class on Dec. 14 to witness firsthand the importance of certification. In a ceremony held on the University Park campus, Penn State Police Officer Michelle Beckenbaugh and Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department were honored for their quick, life-saving response in a medical emergency.

On Nov. 8, Crisoforo Sandoval, an employee with Penn State Hospitality Services, went into cardiac arrest while transporting two guests from the University Park Airport to the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. The passengers were able to stop the car and called 911.

Beckenbaugh was first on the scene. She noticed Sandoval was not responding, called for backup and immediately put her first aid skills into action. Smith arrived soon after and the two officers administered CPR using chest compressions and an automated external defibrillator. The quick response and proper care kept Sandoval, who at one point had no pulse, alive.

"The training is always in the back of your mind and ready to be used," Beckenbaugh said. "It works. And to be able to see Chris stand here today, it's definitely worth it."

During the ceremony, Beckenbaugh and Smith each were awarded a certificate and a University Police department coin honoring their quick action. About 40 people were in attendance, including Sandoval's family, friends and colleagues, and University Police officers.

University Police Chief Tyrone Parham said Beckenbaugh and Smith's decisive actions and their cool, calm and collected demeanor in those first few moments were critical to Sandoval's survival.

"We've all done the training, some of us for 20 years," he said, "and it's circumstances such as this that remind us how important it is."

After the incident, Sandoval was placed into a medically induced coma and flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., where he was treated and recovered. Sandoval said he will be forever grateful to the officers who helped to save his life. He said he plans to earn CPR certification himself in the near future, and suggested that everyone who has the opportunity to earn certification should do so.

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