Joplin police recognized at annual banquet

Apr. 14—Fifty-one officers and dispatchers with the Joplin Police Department were presented commendations Tuesday night for their actions to respond to the March 8, 2022, shootings of three fellow officers.

The commendations, called the Grand Cordon awards for exceptional efforts, were presented to them at the annual Joplin Police Department banquet.

"In recognition of the teamwork and selfless efforts displayed during and after the tragic events of March 8, 2022, and the loss of Officer Jake Reed and Corporal Ben Cooper," the honor notes.

Among those recognized was Officer Rick Hirshey, who also was shot during a gun battle with the suspect in the shootings of Cooper and Reed. Hirshey was hospitalized for treatment of a facial wound and has since recovered.

Reed and Cooper were shot by Anthony Felix after they approached him to talk to him about an incident in a clothing store at the North Park Crossing shopping center.

After mortally wounding the officers, Felix stole one of the officer's cars and led responding officers on a chase from Seventh Street to Range Line Road and down 15th Street through a Campbell Parkway neighborhood before being cornered outside an apartment complex on St. Louis Avenue. At that location, Felix was trying to steal a van and firing on approaching officers when one of his shots wounded Hirshey.

Hirshey and Capt. William Davis also were presented "Medal of Valor Combat Cross" awards regarding their involvement in the pursuit of Felix. It was Davis who ultimately, while taking fire himself, shot and killed Felix.

Three wives of officers received spousal awards for their roles after the tragedy.

The wives of both Davis and Hirshey, Cassie Davis and Misty Hirshey, were recognized, and Amanda Rich, wife of Officer Bradley E. Rich, was recognized for her efforts to help and comfort other police families after the shootings.

Two lifesaving awards were given.

One went to Detention Officer Walter Mayo, who found an inmate experiencing high blood pressure and decided to call an ambulance, which resulted in the man recovering after having a stroke once he was hospitalized.

Officer Andrew Merino was recognized for providing lifesaving CPR to a woman who was suffering from a drug overdose and did not respond to a dose of Narcan to counteract the overdose reaction.

A number of other awards also were presented at the banquet.

Officer Daniel Lenz received the meritorious service award for shooting and wounding a suspect who had sprayed another officer with pepper spray during a pedestrian stop.

Cpl. Josh Hanes was presented the department's "Detective of the Year" award for his work on a number of cases involving fentanyl distribution.

Cpl. Sean Lackey received the "Officer of the Year" honor for his proactive work leading the department in car stops for the year with 700. He also made 259 pedestrian checks, cleared 430 warrants, and seized 5,885 grams of drugs.

Capt. Austin Wolf was named "Supervisor of the Year" for his leadership of the dispatch and communications center.

Officer Chandler Connell was recognized as "Rookie of the Year."

Three detention officers were given awards for their response to an incident in the jail involving a violent inmate. Skylar Lewis, Taylor Huston and Camela Ruch subdued prisoner Justin Waston after he charged an officer and tried to wrestle away the officer's stun gun. Watson said he thought it was a gun and had intended to shoot the detention officers to escape. He is now serving a four-year prison sentence for assault.

Recognition also was awarded to officers and a civilian employee who apprehended a father who had shot his daughter, who later died. They are Luke Stahl, David McGough, Rusty Comer, Brad Rich, Clay Goldsborough, Shawn Dodson, Wes Massey, Garritt Pearish, Brett Davis, Sean Lackey, Jason Francis, John Watkins, Daniel Lenz, Logan Bowline, Josh Cahoon, Ketrina Jones, Nick Jimenez, Luke Lenhart and Vanessa West.

Also cited were Jeffery Flenner, Adam Brannin, Timothy Hudson, Taylor O'Brey, Garritt Pearish, Bradley Rich, Caleb Shindorf, and Levi Winstead for apprehension of a suspect in an armed robbery who tried to exit a house through the back door not knowing the officers had it surrounded.

Other honors:

"Good Conduct" awards went to Rian Bolt, Adam Brannin, Shawn Dodson, Dalton Farmer, Aaron Gooch, Ketrina Jones, Joe Kowis, Andrew Moreno, Michael Moore, Dustin Moyer, Chip Root, John Watkins, Jacob Wright and Michael Gauss.

Educational awards went to Capt. Davis, Capt. Jimenez and Capt. Trevor Duncan.

The Civilian of the Year award was given to Vanessa West, who serves as a crime analyst for the department.