On the Job 

The experiences of Steven Davis, Brad Ditullio, and Gregory Ivory are stark reminders of the risks law enforcement officers take every time they work a shift. The three officers were among dozens of individuals recognized with 2013 Distinguished Law Enforcement Awards at the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Conference in October.

“It’s an honor and a privilege just to be nominated. To actually win is overwhelming, especially considering the other people nominated,” said Ditullio, who shot a fleeing suspect and ended a dangerous altercation while being dragged by the man’s vehicle.
 
His fellow award winners’ stories are equally harrowing: Davis brought a shootout to an end when he fired through his cruiser’s windshield after a bullet struck his badge and protective vest. Ivory was shot in the abdomen while responding to a domestic call and continued to check on two individuals involved until backup arrived.
 
Here’s a closer look at the three officers’ experiences and those of other award winners.
 
Valor Awards
 
Officer Steven Davis
Solon Police Department
 
An OVI stop turned deadly March 17, 2013, after Officer Steven Davis stopped a driver for an improper turn. Detecting the smell of marijuana in the vehicle, he called for backup and checked the driver’s record, learning the man had a history of drug and weapons offenses. The subject drove off and, after a brief pursuit, lost control and disabled his vehicle. Before officers could even stop their cruisers, the man jumped out and began shooting. A round to Davis’ chest hit his badge and protective vest. When the man turned toward the other officer, Davis fired through his cruiser’s windshield, striking and fatally wounding the subject.
 
Officer Brad Ditullio
Youngstown Police Department
 
Officer Brad Ditullio’s actions on Dec. 16, 2012, protected the public and took a violent repeat offender off the streets. Witnessing a traffic violation, he pursued the vehicle, but the driver didn’t stop. Instead, he drove through several backyards, creating a threat to residents and traffic. Ditullio positioned his vehicle to corner the subject and exited the cruiser. The man accelerated toward Ditullio, knocked him to the ground, and began dragging him with his vehicle. While still commanding the driver to stop, the officer fired his weapon, striking the subject and bringing the situation to an end.
 
Officer Gregory Ivory
Springfield Police Division
 
A Springfield woman and her friend are alive today thanks to the heroic actions of Officer Gregory Ivory, who sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen in an Aug. 24, 2012, domestic incident. Ivory responded to a 911 call from a woman who said her estranged husband was at her home and may be armed. When Officer Ivory arrived, the man told his wife, “This isn’t going to go well.” He began firing at Ivory, who returned fire, striking the man. The officer called dispatch and calmly summed up the situation, reporting that he and possibly the subject had been shot. When they arrived, backup officers found Ivory checking on the woman and her friend despite having been shot. They found the husband nearby and arranged for his transport to the hospital, where he died from
his wounds.
 
Civilian Leadership Award
 
Danielle Smoot
Cole’s Warriors
 
Danielle Smoot received the inaugural Distinguished Civilian Leadership Award, which recognizes citizens who work closely with law enforcement for the betterment of their community. On Feb. 12, 2011, Smoot’s 16-year-old son Cole died of a methadone overdose — the result of taking one prescription pill, one time. Setting aside plans for a nursing career, Smoot founded Cole’s Warriors, which quickly became Clark County’s premier drug prevention program. It is responsible for billboards, public presentations, teacher training, a drug dog program, voluntary drug testing in schools, and the purchase of four prescription drug disposal containers and an incinerator.
 
Lifetime Achievement Award
 
Chief Rick Patterson
Fairfax Police Department
 
Rick Patterson devoted his career to protecting the citizens of Hamilton County — from 1980, when he joined the Lockland Police Department, to his retirement in 2013 as chief of the Fairfax Police Department. He always put residents first, whether by establishing an emergency notification system for the community or a college scholarship program for high school graduates. Patterson served 20 years on the Hamilton County Police Association SWAT team — as a sniper, team leader, field commander, and assistant field commander — and for many years on the Regional Crime Information Center CLEAR Board of Advisors, including as its president.
 
Community Service Awards
 
Sgt. Thomas Aldrich
Jackson Police Department
 
A full-time officer with the Jackson Police Department for 32 years, a sergeant for 28, and a school resource officer for 14, Sgt. Thomas Aldrich is active throughout his community. He has held numerous offices within the Jackson County Jaycees, the Jackson County Apple Festival Organization, and the Fraternal Order of Police, serving at the highest levels for each of these groups. A former Ohio School Resource Officer of the Year, he initiated fund-raising for his department’s first K-9 unit, was instrumental in Shop-With-A-Cop for 14 years, and played key roles in programs focusing on school safety, seatbelt use, senior citizen safety, and texting
while driving.
 
Sgt. Donald Barrera
Highland County Sheriff’s Office
 
On and off the job, Sgt. Donald Barrera is quick to volunteer, offer an encouraging word, and treat others with respect. Fourteen people wrote letters supporting his nomination for this award. A huge advocate for the local schools, he is active on the Hillsboro High School Track Committee and frequently works the gates of school events and the Highland County Fair. Among other organizations, he is active in the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association, the Highland County Society for Children and Adults, the VFW, the Eagles, the Rotary Club, and the Farm Bureau.
 
Distinguished Law Enforcement Training Award
 
Deputy David Fatheree
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
 
Deputy David Fatheree has given more than 10 years of service to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office Training Bureau. Recognized for his ability to develop and present quality programming, he ensures that the curricula he teaches meets or exceeds legal standards, requirements, and best practices. He serves on the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy’s Curriculum Advisory Board and maintains instructor credentials for basic law enforcement and corrections courses. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office has recognized him as Deputy of the Year, the American Police Hall of Fame singled him out for distinguished service, and the Akron Optimist Club named him Officer of the Year.
 
Mark Losey Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award
 
Deputy U.S. Marshal Dean Michael
U.S. Marshals Service
 
Deputy U.S. Marshal Dean Michael has led the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force’s Youngstown Division since 2004. As task force coordinator, he has supervised the team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers responsible for tracking down and arresting the region’s most violent fugitives. During his tenure, the task force has cleared almost 11,000 warrants; arrested more than 7,300 fugitives on charges of homicide, assault, robbery, and narcotics; and seized hundreds of firearms and more than 33 kilos of illegal narcotics. The task force has grown under Michael’s leadership from about 10 officers to more than 80.
 
Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Achievement Awards
 
Craigslist Serial Murder Investigation/Prosecution Team
 
Instead of finding work, four men who answered Craigslist job ads in 2011 fell victim to the serial murder and robbery plot of Richard Beasley and Brogan Rafferty. Three were shot and buried in shallow graves, and another was wounded. The Noble County Sheriff’s Office and FBI located crucial evidence from website companies, restaurant videos, and elsewhere. The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force and Akron Police Department uncovered vital information on Beasley and his known associates, and the Noble County Prosecutor’s Office gained incriminating statements from Rafferty. The Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation processed multiple crime scenes, analyzed evidence, prepared materials for trial, and provided expert testimony. The Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section won convictions on all counts.
 
Career Criminal Unit
Columbus Division of Police
 
An investigation by the Columbus Division of Police Career Criminal Unit led to the indictment of 52 people for their part in a Florida-to-Ohio prescription drug scheme and the arrest of three men in a fatal shooting. The unit discovered its original suspect and a co-conspirator were sending dozens of people to pain clinics in Florida for drugs to resell in Franklin County. The ring is accused of funneling more than 94,000 doses of Oxycodone into the Columbus area from 2010 to 2013. While in jail, members of the drug ring were indicted in an August 2012 fatal shooting as a result of information learned in the Career Criminal Unit’s investigation.
 
Distinguished Law Enforcement Meritorious Service Award
 
Officer Jason Huston
Officer Terry Taylor
Officer Robert Thomas
Franklin Township Police Department
 
More than a dozen residents of a Columbus apartment complex were rescued thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of Officers Jason Huston, Terry Taylor, and Robert Thomas the night of Nov. 5, 2012. The three were the first responders on the scene of an apartment building fire that trapped several residents on the second and third floors. They headed straight to the top floor, where they rescued an elderly woman who could not see her way out through the smoke, before moving to the second floor and leading other residents to safety.