Acting Lowell Police Superintendent Barry Golner is pleased to share that the Lowell Police Department gathered Tuesday to recognize exceptional and life-saving work performed by officers over the last several years.

“The actions of all of the officers here tonight are what continues to separate the City of Lowell from other urban cities across our nation,” Acting Superintendent Golner said. “Despite the tremendous challenges and negative sentiment toward law enforcement across our great nation, Lowell Police officers maintain their commitment to the people they serve.”

Lt. Aidan O’Donnell, president of the Lowell Superior Officer’s Union, and Officer Timothy Roussell, president of the Lowell Patrolman’s Union, offered thanks to family members in attendance for their support of their family members wearing the badge. 

“Whether it’s providing life-saving measures to resuscitate someone’s loved one, running toward the sound of gunshots and disarming suspects, saving people from a burning building, or solving homicides, the scenarios read tonight may seem like an action movie, but are considered ordinary occurrences for those of us who wear the badge,” said Roussell. 

Sophie DeMaio, the daughter of Lowell Police Officer James DeMaio, sang the national anthem and God Bless America during the ceremony.

Recognized were:

  • Sgt. Felix Gonzalez and Officers James DeMaio and Sareth Kum; commendation for arresting a suspect who fired multiple gunshots in the downtown neighborhood and recovering the firearm used on Oct. 11, 2021.
  • Officers Matthew Cassella, Alec Golner and Shane Goyette; commendation for running toward the sound of gunshots in the downtown neighborhood on Oct. 11, 2021 and arresting a suspect who had fired several gunshots. A firearm was also recovered. 
  • Officers Raul Alvarez and Justin Oser; commendation for performing CPR on a victim who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and then securing the crime scene around that victim on Oct. 22, 2021. 
  • Officers Raul Alvarez and Brian McManus; commendation for successfully de-escalating an incident involving a man with mental-health challenges who wanted to harm himself. The officers’ intervention led to the man being taken to a local hospital without anyone being injured on Dec. 22, 2021.
  • Officers Danny Perrin Jr. and Matthew Trani; commendation for conducting a motor vehicle stop on March 2, 2022 as a result of a moving violation and realizing the driver provided a false name and was wanted on multiple warrants. An illegal firearm was discovered in the driver’s vehicle.
  • Officers Danny Perrin Jr. and Matthew Trani; commendation for locating a vehicle with an invalid inspection sticker, conducting a motor vehicle stop and recovering an illegal firearm on March 14, 2022. 
  • Officers Adam Ducharme, Stephen Hunter and Brian Rourke; commendation for locating and arresting two juveniles who assaulted someone with a firearm on March 25, 2022.
  • Sergeants James Kelleher and Matthew Mastas, and Officers Adam DeAngelis, Sareth Kum, Kyle Krug, Luis Morales, Joseph Olmeda-Baez, Jonathan Proulx, Thomas Richardson, and Erica Torres; commendation for responding to an incident of gunfire in the downtown neighborhood and arresting two men who fled the area on firearms and narcotics charges. A firearm and cocaine were recovered on April 15, 2022.
  • Officers James Cassella, Nicholas Dokos, and Buntha Kieng; commendation for running toward the sound of gunshots in the area of Middle Street and arresting two men on firearms and drug charges after a brief pursuit on Sept. 15, 2022.
  • Sgt. James Kelleher and Officers Warren Greenhalgh, Glenn Lacher, Gregory Pekarski, Brian Rourke and Erica Torres; commendation for arresting an armed home invasion suspect on the roof of a home on Webster Avenue on Sept. 28, 2022. Two handguns, two rifles, and stolen property were recovered. 
  • Officers Derik Bettencourt, Joshua DeLisle, and Roderick Wiggins; commendation for recognizing and arresting a man wanted on an active arrest warrant who was also found to be in illegal possession of a firearm, ammunition, and stolen credit cards on Oct. 31, 2022.
  • Sgt. Tracy Kelly, Officers Nicholas Kydd and Sareth Kum, and Dispatcher Christopher Callery; commendation for locating and arresting a male who threatened a clerk at a convenience store with a firearm on Nov. 11, 2022. An illegally possessed firearm was recovered.
  • Officers Matthew Cassella, Alec Golner, and Danny Perrin Jr.; commendation for pursuing and arresting a man with a loaded firearm on Dec. 14, 2022. 
  • Sgt. Tracy Kelly and Officers Derik Bettencourt, Shawn Lefebvre, and Roderick Wiggins; commendation for locating a male who attempted to enter a local bar with a firearm, and arresting him outside another nearby bar on Dec. 31, 2022. A firearm and several bags of crack cocaine were recovered. 
  • Detectives Casey Finn and Steven D’Alessandro; life-saving award for performing CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator on a woman who had no pulse, reviving her before advanced life support EMTs arrived on Jan. 14, 2023.
  • Officers Christine Larocque and Luis Rios; life-saving award for performing CPR and using an Automated External Defibrillator to revive a man who had no pulse on Feb. 8, 2023. 
  • Sgt. Rafael Rivera and Officers Emmanuel Antonetty, James Lane, and Paul Paradise; life-saving award for rescuing four people from a burning home on Woburn Street before firefighters arrived on Feb. 16, 2023.
  • Lt. Steven Coyle, Sgt. David Lally, and Detectives Connor Elmore, Thomas Feehan, Christal Downs-Kum, Raymond Jean Jr,, David Kew, Matthew Krug, Ryan Ostler, and Justin Velez of the Special Investigations Section; distinguished unit action award for successful execution of Operation Street Roulette, which dismantled a large drug trafficking and money laundering operation, leading to the seizure of over 2 kilograms of cocaine, over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, 41 grams of fentanyl, 30 grams of MDMA, 513 grams of heroin, and three firearms. The operation led to 16 individuals facing federal charges, and one individual facing state charges. 
  • Capt. Frank Nobrega, Lt. Joseph Comtois, Sergeants Joseph Murray and Danny Perrin Sr., and Detectives Kerri Bomil, Joseph Borodawka, Nathan Bowler, Linda Coughlin, Steven D’Alessandro, Edward Davis IV, Socrates Deno, Todd Fenlon, Casey Finn, David Geoffroy, Chris Gonsalves, Kyle Griffin, Carlos Mercado, Jacqueline Mercado, Judy Phothimath, Robert Richard Jr., and Andrew Sepe; distinguished unit action award for continued excellence in investigating major cases, and for solving all six homicides in Lowell last year. 
Interim Superintendent Barry Golner, who retires on April 30, speaks to those in attendance. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Officer Christine Larocque listens as a narrative is read to explain a Lifesaving Award received by her and Officer Luis Rios, who was not in attendance. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Officers Adam Ducharme and Brian Rourke listen as Interim Deputy Superintendent Greg Hudon reads the details of their commendation. At right is Deputy Superintendent Mark LeBlanc. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Officers Matthew Trani and Danny Perrin, Jr. listen as the details of their commendation is read. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Officer Sareth Kum, Sgt. Tracy Kelly and Officer Nicholas Kydd listen as the details of their commendation is read. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Sophia DeMaio sings God Bless America at the conclusion of the event. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Interim Superintendent Barry Golner, at right, hugs his son, Officer Alec Golner, after Officer Golner received a commendation. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)
Members of the Lowell Police Criminal Investigation Division listen as Deputy Mark LeBlanc reads the details of a Distinguished Unit Action Award. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)