12th of 31 NYC DOC Medal Day 2011 NYCHS image pages | xx |
Bound certificate from the Port Jervis PD, after being passed to an officer in that force, was read to Medal of Honor recipient Captain Richard Rodriguez cited for helping Port Jervis officers make an arrest Oct. 6. It had originally been presented to the captain Oct. 27. |
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To NYC
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The following citation with the NYC DOC Medal of Honor awarded Captain Richard Rodriguez is taken from the Medal Day 2011 booklet.
CAPTAIN RICHARD RODRIGUEZ, E.M.T.C.
Capt. Richard Rodriguez,
a 23-year veteran of
DOC, on October 6, was
off-duty and driving in
the town of Port Jervis,
NY, when he witnessed
a police detective struggling with a suspect.
It
later turned out that the defendant had led Port
Jervis police on a high-speed-chase throughout
several neighborhoods and had intentionally
rammed a detective's patrol vehicle twice
during the pursuit.
Observing that the officers
were in need of assistance, Capt. Rodriguez
stopped his car and went to help. Without
regard for his own safety, he identified himself
and immediately began assisting the officers,
grabbing the perpetrator's left arm and placing
handcuffs on him.
The defendant, a dangerous
felon, continued to resist arrest and it was then
that both Captain Rodriguez and the detective
had to remove the perpetrator from his vehicle
and take him to the ground. At one point, the
defendant attempted to stab the detective with
a screwdriver.
Port Jervis Police Chief William
Worden later recalled, “I wish to personally
commend Capt. Rodriguez for his strong
commitment to public safety and dedication
to duty. His heroic, selfless actions provided
immediate and valuable assistance to officers
of the Port Jervis Police Department during
this highly volatile, potentially life-threatening
situation, helping to bring the situation under
control. Capt. Rodriguez serves as a credit to
the sworn men and women of the New York
City Department of Correction and to all public
servants who have taken an oath to protect
our communities and uphold the law.”
The Port
Jervis Police Department presented Captain
Rodriguez with a Certificate of Commendation
on October 27, 2011. Captain Rodriguez has
been with the Department since 1988.
WEBMASTER NOTE: At Medal Day 2011 ceremonies in the George Motchan Detention Center (GMDC) on Rikers Island Nov. 15th, the NYC Department of Correction honored staff for heroic acts on and off the job, as well as for distinguished and exceptional on-the-job performance and community service. This New York Correction History Society (NYCHS) presentation features images derived from photos taken by NYCHS at the event as well as texts and images scanned by NYCHS from NYC DOC's Medal Day 2011 booklet distributed at the ceremonies. |
Preliminaries, 0 -- 8; DOC medals, 9 -- 15; Mayor's awards, 16 -- 18; Unit Citations, 19 -- 21; union awards, 22 -- 28; benediction, 29; booklet lists, 30 & 31. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||