Crime & Safety

Stories of Bravery, Quick Thinking at Eagan Police Ceremony

The Eagan Police Department held its 2012 Awards Ceremony on Tuesday afternoon at Eagan's City Hall.

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A hotel manager who helped police bust prostitutes, drug dealers and other criminals. Two young children who worked with an officer to save their drowning father and brother. A concerned neighbor who kept a cool head when an armed robber was spotted near her home.

All got their turn in the spotlight during the Eagan Police Department's 2012 Awards Ceremony, which honored the quick thinking, community service and courage of police officers and Eagan residents alike.

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Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald handed out several awards at the annual event, held on Wednesday at . The honorees for each award were selected by a nominations committee working in tandem with McDonald. Below is a list of the award winners and a brief description of the award:

  • Community Commitment Award: Stacy Goode
    Goode, the general manager at the Days Inn in Eagan, has worked with police for nearly 10 years, serving as a watchdog for criminal activity occurring at the hotel she manages. Tips by Goode have helped police make multiple prostitution arrests, DWI arrests, and drug arrests. In one incident, police confiscated 10 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 in cash.
  • Award of Merit: Sgt. Linda Myhre
    Last fall, Eagan Police Department Sgt. Linda Myhre investigated a series of attempted break-ins that culminated in a man sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in her bedroom at night. Myhre took charge of the resulting investigation, and in a 12-hour span used her considerable experience to track down a suspect who eventually admitted to committing the assault.
  • Certificate of Commendation; Jeff Thul, Brian Rezny, Joe Moseng and Bloomington Police Officer Jerry Wukawitz.
    On March 19, 2011, all four officers responded to the Cedar Avenue Bridge to a report of a suicidal man standing with a knife on the edge of the bridge. The officers talked to the man for nearly an hour, and with the help of a crisis negotiator convinced the man to step down from the edge and return to safety.
  • Certificate of Commendation; Alison Anderson
    When Anderson learned that an alleged armed robber was loose in her neighborhood, Anderson, an unofficial neighborhood watch leader quickly spread the word to other residents an children in the neighborhood to get indoors for safety. Through her relationships in the neighborhood, Anderson was also able to help police track down a gun the robber allegedly carried then ditch while he was fleeing from police.
  • Life Saving Award: Mark Halberg
    On July 31, 2011, Muhammed Javed was fishing on a dock with his three children at Fish Lake Park when one of his young sons fell in the water. Javed leapt in after him, but went below the surface trying to save his son. Javed's 7-year-old daughter Christian ran to find help, while his son Gabriel stayed at the dock to try and help his father and brother. Christian found Officer Mark Halberg on a walking path. Halberg returned to the scene, dove in and rescued the drowning boy, 2-year-old Osgar. He then went back for Javed, and with the help of Eagan residents Patrick Scanlon and Nancy Durkee helped get an unconscious Javed out of the water. Officers were able to get Javed breathing again. Osgar also survived the near-drowning.
  • Outstanding Citizen Award: Gabriel and Christian Javed
    For their roles in the above incident.
  • Outstanding Citizen Award: Patrick Scanlon and Nancy Durkee
    For their roles in the above incident.

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