Sleepy Hollow Police Honored for Courageous Actions

On Saturday, members of the public, elected officials and officers of the Sleepy Hollow Police Department gathered to honor those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to save lives and secure the peace in the village. 

The Commendation Ceremony was the first to be held in the village in decades and coincided with Peace Officer Memorial Day (May 15) and Police Week (the week in which May 15 falls).

"This day is set aside to honor the memory of those in our ranks who have made the ultimate sacrifice," Sleepy Hollow Police Chief John Kapica said. 

The memorial day was first established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, to honor all officers who have lost their lives or who have become injured in the line of duty. Since the first official police death was recorded in 1792, there have been over 19,000 officers that have died in the states while protecting citizens – more than 1,125 in the past ten years alone. While Texas has had the most police officer casualties on record, New York State has had the third highest casualty rating, with the New York City Police Department having the most slain officers in the line of duty across the country. 

"While the Village of Sleepy Hollow has been fortunate not to have a line of duty death, there have been over 70 officers killed in Westchester County," Kapica said. 

Reverend Monsignor Louis J. Mazza of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, opened the ceremony with a prayer and a plea to keep all officers safe, both those abroad and in the village. 

 "Guide them always and protect them from harm and danger," Mazza said. "They are our modern good samaritans who go out of their way to help support and assist those who are in trouble or in distress." 

The ceremony was also an opportunity to highlight some of the outstanding work being done by local officers every day. Eight officers and one K-9 were presented with numerous commendations for their exemplary work in the village over the past year.

Commendation requests are submitted anonymously to a five-member commendation board, which vetted each claim for its merit. The awards were presented to the following officers:

• Exceptional Merit – Awarded to Police Officers Anthony Bueti and Michael Gasko for their actions on January 18, 2010 in effecting the arrest of an armed, emotionally disturbed person who had damaged a resident's home and vehicle.
• Life Saving – Awarded to Police Officer Donald Pellegrino for his actions on May 23, 2009 which resulted in the saving of the life of a 21 month old child suffering from seizures and an obstructed airway.
• Life Saving – Awarded to Police Officers Anthony Bueti and Michael Gasko for their actions on February 7, 2010 that resulted in the saving of a life of a person who had attempted suicide by hanging.
• Life Saving – Awarded to Police Officers Anthony Bueti and Michael Gasko for their actions on March 19, 2010 that resulted in the saving of the life of a person who had attempted suicide by slitting their wrist.
• Meritorious Police Work – Awarded to Police Officer Wendy Brand for her off-duty actions on April 27, 2009 in calming a large crowd that had gathered to mourn the untimely death of a popular young resident of Sleepy Hollow.
• Meritorious Police Work – Awarded to Police Officer Michael Gasko for his actions in April of 2009 during which he developed information through a confidential informant that led to the arrest of a suspect for felony sale of cocaine.
• Honorable Mention – Awarded to Police Officer Richard D'Alessandro for his initiative in applying for grant funding through the State of New York to upgrade the Police Department's outdated Speed Enforcement Equipment final approval for which was received on March 24, 2010.
• Unit Citation – Awarded to Police Officers Wendy Brand and Richard D'Alessandro for their actions on May 21, 2009 that led to the arrest of an armed suspect that had threatened a person with a butcher knife.
• Unit Citation – Awarded to Detective-Sergeant Jose Cotarelo, Detective Michael Hayes and Police Officers Michael Gasko and Craig Kelly for their actions on February 8, 2010 that led to the arrest of a suspect for burglary.
• Unit Citation – Awarded to Police Officer Anthony Bueti and K-9 Brom for their actions on March 21, 2010 that led to the discovery of a weapon involved in an assault in Tarrytown. 

Also recognized were members of the public who have helped support the work of the department or assisted in bringing criminals to justice.

"I can not over emphasize how important these people are that come forward and assist us in these matters," Kapica said.

The citizen's award included: 

• Citizen's Award for Public Service – Awarded to Kevin Reyes for his actions on March 13, 2010 in assisting members of the Sleepy Hollow Police Department that led to the arrest of a suspect for felony criminal mischief who had smashed windows in a car parked in the 100 College Ave. lot.
• Citizen's Award for Public Service – Awarded to Manny Perna, Choice Pets for his continued support of the Sleepy Hollow Police Department's K-9 Program.
• Citizen's Award for Public Service – Awarded to Brian Greene, DVM and the staff of the Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital for their continued support of the Sleepy Hollow Police Department's K-9 Program.
• Citizen's Award for Public Service – Awarded to Cindi Valentine for her invaluable assistance to the Sleepy Hollow Police Department that goes far beyond the call of duty.

A Special Service Award was also presented, posthumously, to Sleepy Hollow officer Antonio Benitez in appreciation for his 16 years of outstanding service in the village. 

The 42-year-old Benitez died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in August of 2008. At the time he was on leave from the department for a disability. Benitez' s mother, Margarita, and daughter, Salina, were at the ceremony and accepted two plaques in honor of his service. 

"He was not only a dedicated police officer, but also a friend and mentor to all the friends and officers he worked with," Officer Michael Gasko said. "He did his job with total dedication and never wavered in any situation... It was an honor to work with Tony and to also have him as a friend."

Despite the danger, stress and split-second decisions that local law enforcement officers have to deal with everyday, Kapica said it was time that the community realized all of the positive work of the officers that comprise the Sleepy Hollow Police Department.  

"This is the way the Sleepy Hollow Police Department functions every single day," Kapica said. "And most often these particular situations go unnoticed."