Manatee County area law enforcement officers honored by Sons of the American Revolution
MANATEE -- The Saramana Sons of the American Revolution Chapter recently honored a Bradenton police officer and a Manatee County Sheriff's deputy for heroism.
The chapter also presented a Palmetto police officer and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper with law enforcement commendation awards.
Recognized for heroism were Officer Kenneth Simunovic of the Bradenton Police Department and Deputy Billie Wilson of the Manatee Sheriff's Office.
Receiving the law enforcement commendation medal were Officer Timothy Matthews of the Palmetto Police Department, and Sgt. William F. Pascoe of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan nominated Simunovic for the heroism award:
On Nov. 21, 2015, Bradenton police officers and firefighters responded to 1200 block of 50th Street East for a structure fire with smoke showing. Simunovic was the first to arrive and saw a woman coming out of the residence. He asked her if everyone was out and she told him the residence was empty. While speaking with her, Simunovic learned that she was not a resident of the house, and was there to clean it.
Simunovic made the quick decision to check inside the residence.
While checking the smoke-filled rooms, Simunovic entered the master bedroom and noticed a towel wedged under the bathroom door. He made entry into the bathroom and discovered an unconscious female on the floor. He also found a charcoal grill burning and creating the smoke that she was using in an attempt to commit suicide. Simunovic acted quickly to drag her to safety. Emergency medical service personnel arrived and began providing her with medical attention. The female was transported to Manatee Memorial Hospital for treatment and later taken into protective custody.
Had Simunovic not taken the initiative to conduct a thorough search of the residence, she could have died from smoke inhalation. His quick action and disregard for his own safety saved this woman's life.
Simunovic began his career with the Bradenton Police Department in 2011 as a pa
trol officer. He has served five years in the Patrol Division.
Sheriff Brad Steube nominated Wilson for the heroism award:
On Oct. 18, 2015, Wilson and his family were spending the day with his parents in Hillsborough County. While standing in the front yard, a man came running in front of Wilson shooting a gun. Wilson got his kids out of the way of danger and identified himself to the man as a deputy.
The man ignored Wilson and continued shooting. Wilson followed the man at a distance and called 911 with a description of the suspect and his location in a residence. He was also able to give a description of the weapon, based on his knowledge as an Manatee Sheriff's Office firearms instructor. Hillsborough deputies arrived, the man surrendered and the gun was found.
When faced with this situation that endangered his family and others, Wilson demonstrated composure, exercised his training skills and took appropriate action to resolve the incident. Wilson was awarded the 2015 Deputy of the Year award.
Palmetto Police Chief Scott D. Tyler nominated Matthews for the law enforcement commendation award:
Matthews was chosen by his peers as the Palmetto Police Department Officer of the Year for 2015. Here is what the Officer Selection Committee wrote about Matthew's accomplishments in 2015:
Officer Timothy Matthews has been recognized repeatedly by his supervisors and peers for his work ethic, dedication, and compassion throughout the year. For example, in January 2015 he responded to a call where an elderly citizen had his walker stolen. Officer Matthews took it upon himself to find the victim a replacement walker.
In another case, Officer Matthews investigated a child neglect complaint and found three children, including two toddlers, living in horrible conditions and hungry. Once his investigation was completed, Matthews organized several other officers and not only purchased food to feed the children, but helped to clean them up and dress them in clean clothes.
In December of 2015, Matthews responded to a call where a victim had been stabbed in the chest. The victim was struggling to breath and going in and out of consciousness. Matthews grabbed his trauma bag and used a glove to cover the wound, allowing the victim to breathe until EMS arrived and started treatment.
Capt. John F. Donovan, Florida Highway Patrol North District commander, nominated Pascoe for the law enforcement commendation award:
Pascoe began his career in law enforcement in 1987 by volunteering to join the Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary. After volunteering his services to the State of Florida for two years, Pascoe attended and graduated from the Florida Highway Patrol Academy in 1989 and was assigned to patrol the highways and protect the citizens and visitors of Manatee County.
In 2011, he was recognized as a Manatee County 100 Club Award Nominee recognizing his dedication in removing impaired drivers from the roadways. In 1992 and again in 2009 he was chosen as the Trooper of the Month recognizing the quality of his services to the agency. In addition, he has received numerous commendations and letters of appreciation from the public and other agencies. He has served as an assistant scout master with Boy Scouts of America since 2003. He is a committee member of the Manatee County Child Death Review Team and a member of the American Association of State Troopers since 2000. He is certified as a Crash Data Retrieval Technician and has been recognized and testifies as an expert in the field of crash investigation within the 12th Judicial Circuit.
Other area law enforcement awards presented by the chapter:
Sarasota County Sheriff's Detective Jason Friday, Law Enforcement Award.
Sarasota Police Officer Jeffrey Miller, Law Enforcement Award.
Venice Police Detective Robert W. Goodson III, Law Enforcement Award
North Port Police Sgt. Michael Laden, Heroism Award.
This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 11:31 PM with the headline "Manatee County area law enforcement officers honored by Sons of the American Revolution ."