Member Recognition

On March 7, 2022, Johnston Police Department (JPD) officers were dispatched to Sonic on reports of an individual being stabbed and in need of medical assistance. First responding officers arrived at the scene and located the victim in an adjacent parking lot, immediately providing medical aid to the victim. Officers were also tasked with securing a large crime scene, identifying witnesses, and documenting information from eyewitnesses.

As the above actions were occurring, the suspect returned to Sonic and was safely detained without further incident.

• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Love responded and assisted with documentation of and later categorization of, evidence recovered at the hospital and later from the initial scene. These duties were essential for a successful prosecution.
• Officer Runge was one of the officers who took the suspect into custody, and he was key in securing the knife that was used in the crime, which the suspect had in his possession. Runge ensured the knife was secured appropriately while also avoiding evidence contamination. Officer Runge was also one of the Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) that was utilized to fully document the scene and collect applicable evidence for prosecution purposes.
• Officer Hayes assisted with the above initial response to this incident as well as observing and providing security for the suspect interview with detectives. Officer Hayes’ actions greatly assisted with this investigation, which ultimately resulted in a conviction for murder.
• Lieutenant Nore was the on-scene supervisor and oversaw the initial response which included all the above actions as well as attempting to render life-saving aid to the victim. LT Nore’s actions were critical in setting up the entire police response for success. Based on the leadership and professionalism Nore demonstrated during the incident, the suspect was safely detained, separated from the weapon used in the crime, and significant evidence was gathered that ultimately led to the suspect being found guilty of murder.
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Naidenoff responded and assisted with the documentation of, and later categorization of, evidence recovered from the initial scene. These duties were crucial for identifying the evidence needed by the prosecutor for a successful investigative outcome.
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Holtry responded and assisted with documentation of and later categorization of, evidence recovered at the hospital and from the initial scene. These duties were crucial for a successful prosecution.
• Sergeant Grandon was off duty, but immediately volunteered to help upon learning of this incident. He assisted and supervised numerous tasks that were assigned to him that were occurring at the incident scene including managing CSI investigators assigned to process the large crime scene. He was also the first officer to observe that the store’s security system had documented the incident. His timely efforts to provide investigators with factual information relative to the criminal activity were essential in expediting criminal charges against the offender. This video proved instrumental in obtaining a murder conviction.

The above actions reflected well on each member's professionalism and dedication to duty. Collaborative efforts like these were crucial in obtaining a conviction for murder