During a recent ceremony, members of the Essex County Sheriff’s office were among those to receive Correctional Employee of the Year Awards.
The event was offered by the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Massachusetts Department of Correction and Massachusetts Sherriff’s Association and honored more than 50 correctional professionals statewide for exceptional performance and public service.
K9 Sgt. Leonardo F. Jorge was honored for his role in helping Haverhill Police last July in locating a missing individual with suicidal thoughts. Jorge and his K9 partner, Drago, responded as part of a multi-agency team. Working alongside the State Police, Haverhill Police and the Essex County Sheriff’s office, Jorge and Drago found the missing person, who carried a machete-style knife, near the edge of a large body of water. Although the man did not speak English well, Jorge engaged him in Spanish over the course of a two-hour dialogue. He used his training and expertise to patiently established rapport and persuade the man to come ashore and receive care.
For his ability to de-escalate and achieve a peaceful resolution to a dangerous operation, the selection committee conferred meritorious recognition.
Investigator Jonathan Campbell, Lt. Alex Wilson, Sgts. Patrick Wallace and Jared Valeri and Officers Derek DePietro, William Glidden and Jose Quinones were recognized for assisting an inmate with a severe, self-inflicted injury. Officers identified a severe cut on the individual’s left hand and applied a tourniquet from a medical kit to stop the bleeding. They subsequently applied pressure, stabilized the person and arranged transportation to the hospital.
An Essex County Sheriff’s team was also honored for an incident last November for saving an inmate administering by performing 29 rounds of CPR and administering two AED shocks and three doses of Narcan. The team included Sgt. Mark Duquette, Wellpath Nurse Elena Shevtsova, Sgt. Isaac Mercer, Wellpath Nurse Nicole Newman, Officer Anthony Lopez-Sanchez, Wellpath Nurse David McAuliffe and Officers Kayli Kotchian, Mark Csogi and Michael Palm.