Marine Versions of 'James Bond' Are Greenwich Police Officers of the Year

Police work can be full of surprises.

And for Greenwich Marine Police officers Shawn Fox and Francesco DiPietro Thursday was once of those days.

The veteran Greenwich officers arrived at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich under the varying guises — that one had to pick up audio visual equipment, the other had "a very important lunch" with his wife.

What neither officer knew until they walked into the dining room was that both were the 2014 recipients of the Greenwich Lions Club Dr. John Clarke Award — the annual award given by the Greenwich Lions Club to acknowledge outstanding work by a town police officer.

They were chosen for the awards on their heroic efforts that rivaled "a scene out of a James Bond movie," according to Greenwich Police Chief James Heavey. Back around sunset on July 19 weekend of 2013, Fox and DiPietro answered a call for a 30-foot-plus cigarette speed boat that was careening off the waves of Long Island Sound. An apparent rogue wage bounced the two people aboard the boat overboard and the boat — with a full tank of gas — was aimlessly bouncing off the waves of the Sound around sunset.

"We had two people in the water that had been picked up by a passing boat. There were a lot of boaters heading towards Playland (in Rye, NY) for the Friday night fireworks," recalled DiPietro, an 11-year Greenwich Police officer assigned to the Marine Division for five years. The officers tried in vain with personnel from marine police units from surrounding towns to corral the boat that was estimated to be at near full throttle of 50 mph.

"It looked like a whale breeching, coming out of the water every time it hit a wave," DiPetro recalled Thursday afternoon.

After attempts to foul the motor with rope, Fox and DiPietro decided to put to the test skills they learned at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

"It was the third third attempt to get along side the boat ... what made the difference was the 550 horsepower engines of Marine 139 ( the department's Homeland Security boat)," explained Fox, a 26-year department veteran. "I was able to get alongside the boat" and DiPietro made the leap — jumping from the Greenwich marine boat onto the unmanned vessel. He was able to shut down the engines.

"They did an awesome job and I'm very proud of them," said Police Chief James Heavey. "Marine 139 earned its stripes that day and it was the result of hundreds and hundreds of hours training by the Marine Division," Heavey said.

Fox, who was surprised that 19 family members including three of his brothers were in attendance, tapped his chest and said, "This is awesome. This is a long time in coming. We've been working very hard to be this unit. We appreciate the last 10 years of support of the administration, the department and town fathers."

The Dr. John Clarke Award has been given to a Greenwich officer every year since 1947, in memory of the founder of the Greenwich Lions Club who also served more than two decades as the Greenwich Police medical advisor. 

The awards luncheon typically draws previous awardees, including retirees. Attending the May 15 luncheon were former honorees Det. David Hughes, Lt. James Fahy, Officer Dan Hickman, Det. Frank Kelly, Det. James Hirsch and Lt. Brian O'Donnell.

The officers also were presented with citations from the state Legislature — thanks to state Reps. Livvy Floren, Fred Camillo and Steve Walko, and state Sen. Scott Frantz — who also attended the luncheon.

The officers previously received Officer of the Month Award for their efforts.