PGPD Honors Patrol Officers of the Month

Spring is finally here after a long and at times difficult winter. Despite the cold (and lots of snow) our patrol officers suited up every day to protect our communities.  Here is just a sample of their good works.  Here are the patrol officers of the month for February 2014. 

District I Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer First Class Arturo Navarro

On February 1, 2014, Police Officer First Class Arturo Navarro spotted two suspects wearing black masks running from a convenience store on Chillum Road.  The suspects saw the marked cruiser and ran toward a nearby apartment building.  POFC Navarro began to chase one of the suspects while broadcasting a lookout for the second suspect.  Backup patrol officers set up a perimeter.  The two suspects were quickly caught and arrested.

District II Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer Thomas Kosakowski

On February 19, 2014, Police Officer Thomas Kosakowski was called to Halloway North in Upper Marlboro for the report of a suspicious car.  When he arrived, he saw the car sitting with its engine running.  When Police Officer Kosakowski approached to speak to the driver, he smelled a strong odor of suspected marijuana coming from the car.  The driver admitted to having marijuana.  Police Officer Kosakowski searched the car and found a plastic container with nearly 100 grams of suspected marijuana and a digital scale.  The driver was arrested.

District III Police Officer of the Month

Police Officer Anthony Ayers Jr.

On February 10, 2014, while on routine patrol on Silver Hill Road, Police Officer Anthony Ayers spotted a white van parked in an alley in the back of a shopping center.  Since there are no public access roads to get to the back of that shopping center and due to several commercial robberies in that area, Police Officer Ayers approached to speak with the occupants of the van.   As he got closer,  he saw that three of the four men inside had what appeared to be masks rolled up on top of their heads.  While speaking to the occupants, Police Officer Ayers learned the van’s registration was expired.  The occupants also couldn’t answer why they were sitting behind the shopping center.  Police Officer Ayers asked to search the van.  When the occupants got out, the driver began to run away.  Police Officer Ayers ran after him and quickly caught him.  Backup patrol officers arrived.  During a search of the van, two loaded handgun were recovered. One of the guns was stolen.  The four men were arrested.

District IV Police Officers of the Month

Corporal Devon Thompson

Police Officer Dontavia Estep

On February 18, 2014, Corporal Devon Thompson and Police Officer Dontavia Estep spoke to a man who had just been robbed at gunpoint.  The patrol officers spotted the suspect running down Silver Hill Road and began to chase him.  The chase ended at an apartment building on Terrace Drive.  The patrol officers found and arrested the suspect in a hallway.  Backup officers and a K9 team searched the area and located two handguns in the back of the building.

District V Police Officer of the Month

Sergeant Joshua Brackett

On February 12, 2014, Sergeant Joshua Brackett saw a car speeding near Schultz Road.  He conducted a traffic stop and when speaking to the driver, Sergeant Brackett smelled suspected marijuana coming from the car.  A search of the car revealed a loaded handgun, more than 50 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.  The driver was arrested.

District VI Police Officers of the Month

Sergeant Gerard Manley

Police Officer David Varona Jr.

Police Officer Jessica Johnson

   

On February 14, 2014, Sergeant Gerard Manley and Police Officers David Varona and Jessica Johnson responded to an alarm at a business on Hanna Street. When they arrived, they discovered a van parked suspiciously on the side of the building.  A yellow crowbar was spotted on the van’s floorboard.  As the patrol officers checked the area, they found that an exterior door had been pried open.   A perimeter was immediately established around the store.  A short time later, the suspect walked out of the store and was arrested.  The man is suspected to be involved in several other commercial burglaries in the county and neighboring jurisdictions.