Western Pennsylvania officers rewarded for bravery, calm

As the woman cried and held the revolver to her head, Hopewell police Officer James Lewis knew he had to keep her talking.

“The first thing you think is just, ‘Wow.' Then you just react,” Lewis said Thursday after he and his partner, Officer James Price, received an award for their calm handling of the charged situation.

Performing a welfare check after the woman's concerned boyfriend called, the officers found her with the gun to her head. She had cancer, she was bipolar, and she had stopped taking her medication.

As Lewis talked to the woman — about life, about her problems — Price noticed that although the woman was gripping the gun, her finger was not on the trigger. While Lewis continued talking, Price circled behind her and took the gun from her hand.

“I automatically noticed (her finger wasn't on the trigger),” Price said. “You don't think about it.”

Lewis and Price were honored Thursday at the Amen Corner Sen. John Heinz Law Enforcement Awards Luncheon, which honors area officers with awards such as the 911 Quick Response Award and the Ever Vigilant Award.

Lewis and Price received the Negotiators Award.

“It was all in a day's work,” Lewis said.

Nearly 400 honorees and guests attended the luncheon, in its 15th year. Eight awards were presented to officers or groups of officers for their response to critical incidents.

Four Pittsburgh officers, a deputy sheriff and a Port Authority officer were honored for their roles in stopping a shooter in late June.

Tyrone Harris Jr., recently released from jail, began a shooting spree with an AR-15 just before 10 a.m., stealing a car and leading police on a chase through the South Hills.

Deputy Sheriff Kevin Faulds spotted the stolen car and pulled up behind it. Harris began firing, and a bullet flew through the windshield and lodged in the headrest. Faulds continued pursuing Harris.

Pittsburgh police Sgts. Anthony Palermo and James Vogel, detectives David Honick and William Friburger Jr., and Port Authority Officer Joseph DelSole converged on the suspect when he became boxed in traffic on Saw Mill Run Boulevard. Harris began firing at the officers, who returned fire, killing him.

The six were presented the In the Face of Danger Award.

The luncheon culminated in Lt. Eric Eslary's induction into the nonprofit Amen Corner's Hall of Valor. Eslary, 40, a Ligonier Township police officer, was killed, and his K-9 partner, Blek, injured May 5 when his cruiser was struck by a van going the wrong way on Route 30 near Idlewild and SoakZone park.

Amen Corner recently began the Hall of Valor to be separate from its longstanding Hall of Fame, which generally recognizes outstanding careers, said luncheon Chairman Larry Dunn.

Eslary's widow, Mary Beth Eslary, accepted the award. Her husband's name will be added to the Wall of Valor at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington.

“For quite a while, we didn't have to deal with tragedy,” Dunn said. “This is a reminder for each and every one of us of the sacrifice.”

Megan Guza is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-8519 or mguza@tribweb.com.