Local Cops Get Valor Awards for Chasing Down Armed Drug Dealer

Nobody knows how they’ll react under pressure in a life-or-death situation until it happens.

But several Essex County emergency responders – including Belleville resident Richard Alberto, Nutley resident Erik Udvarhely, and Nutley police patrolman Davis Schus – now do.

Alberto, Udvarhely and Schus were three of the law enforcement, fire department and emergency responders honored by the 200 Club of Essex County, which recently held its 2015 Valor Awards in West Orange.

According to a release, Schus was commended for his capture of a knife-wielding suspect who had killed one male victim and severely wounded a second male victim.

The release stated that Alberto and Udvarhely were commended for their work with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office’s exclusive Tactical Response Team (TRT), which was formulated to play a front line role in major drug take-downs, gang round-ups and high risk operations with armed suspects.

According to the release:

“On February 27, the TRT assisted both the Essex and Union County Prosecutor’s Offices in executing a no-knock search warrant and made a forced entry into a major drug distribution facility in Newark.

“Upon entering the structure, the target of the investigation was observed climbing out of a third floor window and onto the roof.

“Alberto and Udvarhely gave immediate chase.

“The suspect was seen throwing a bag onto an adjacent rooftop and then running and jumping onto that roof. He threw the bag again and then leaped onto another rooftop.

“Despite being encumbered by protective gear weighing in excess of 60 pounds and indifferent to the heavy snow and ice conditions on the rooftops, Alberto and Udvarhely matched the suspect leap for leap.

“With the suspect now cornered, the officers tackled him to the ground before he could reach any of the three semi-automatic handguns he was carrying.

“The officers also recovered ½ kilo of cocaine, 200 Ecstasy tablets and $3,000 in cash from the suspect.

“Additionally, large quantities of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, along with high capacity gun magazines, a bulletproof vest and drug processing materials were recovered from the suspect’s apartment.

“Acting with courage and in disregard of their own personal safety, a dangerous suspect, three deadly weapons and a large cache of narcotics were removed from our streets.”

THE MEANING OF VALOR

Nominations for The 200 Club’s Valor Award are made by chiefs of Essex County’s municipal fire and police departments and the commanding officers of federal, state and regional public safety agencies.

Valor Award recipients are selected by The 200 Club’s Executive Committee.

This year’s award winners were:

• Detective Nicholas Rizzitello of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and mounted Newark Police Officer Erich Schroeder, for the capture of an armed suspect who was holding a victim at gunpoint on Mulberry Street during Newark’s evening rush hour

• Irvington Police Lieutenant Stewart Townsend and Detective Andres Lebron for the capture of an armed bank robber
• Newark Police Captain Richard Perez and Officer Dennis Dominguez who engaged in a shoot-out while capturing an armed robbery suspect (Dominguez was wounded during the incident)
• Newark Police Detective Louis Weber for the pursuit and capture of an armed suspect
• New Jersey State Police Sergeants Fidiberto Soto and Damon Crawford for the pursuit and capture of an armed robbery suspect

• Roseland Fire Captain Douglas Yates and West Caldwell Fire Captain Tom Webber and Firefighter Brian Drastal for the rescue of a female victim of a residential fire who subsequently succumbed to her injuries
• Newark Fire Captains Danny Farrell and Kevin Reilly and Firefighter Khalif Boyer for the rescue of an unconscious female victim from a two-story residential fire
• Newark Fire Captain John Norvis and Firefighters Reynard Gasavage and Wilson Vasquez for the rescue of an unconscious female victim from an apartment house fire at Georgia King Village
• Maplewood Fire Captains Michael Demartini and Kevin Hayes and Firefighters Joseph Alvarez, Michael Amato, Richard Salkowski and Dennis Weust, and Maplewood Police Sergeant Vincent DeCicco and Officers Kraig Huncken, Rodney Tannenbaum and Henry Wasielewski for the rescue of a construction worker who was trapped beneath the debris of a building collapse
• Millburn Fire Battalion Chief James Boyle, Captains Chris Beady and Shawn Daly and Firefighters Marlin Adams, Andrew Dante, Peter DiCostanzo, David Hammond, Steve Jason and Joe Tobia for the rescue of a construction worker who had fallen through the floor of a residential garage and was trapped in a trench beneath the structure