Grosse Pointe Shores public safety officers honored for going above and beyond call of duty

GROSSE POINTE SHORES — From saving lives to confronting violent criminals, Grosse Pointe Shores Public Safety Department members had to draw from their vast reservoir of skills in medical, police and firefighting last year when responding to a range of calls for service.

The most outstanding examples of their work in 2022 were honored during a presentation of awards in front of the Grosse Pointe Shores City Council Feb. 21.

“The annual department awards ceremony is one of the best parts of my job,” Public Safety Director Kenneth Werenski said. “These awards are just a small sample of the hard work the public safety officers exhibited throughout 2022.”

Receiving the department’s highest honor, a director’s award, was Sgt. Jason Cook, who joined the department on Dec. 17, 2013, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant on Dec. 26, 2020.

“This is the big dog award,” said Werenski, pointing out that it’s given to someone who “constantly exceeds the expectations of the job description.”

Werenski said Cook was involved in three serious incidents where he “conducted himself admirably” last year. The first was in January 2022, when a suspect who fled from Grosse Pointe Shores officers after an attempted traffic stop found himself trapped on a dead-end road in St. Clair Shores and responded by shooting at police and trying to hit them with his vehicle in an effort to get away. Werenski said Cook “was forced to discharge his duty weapon to protect himself and fellow officers.”

In a second incident, in Harper Woods Sept. 2, Cook and others on the Eastern Wayne Special Response Team responded to a home with a barricaded gunman who had already shot and killed two family members inside the home. The SRT is similar to a SWAT team and includes members from across the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods.

In a third incident, Cook and others with the SRT responded to a mutual aid call from Harper Woods in September 2022. In this incident, Werenski said the suspect had shot and killed two individuals and set the house on fire. From his vantage point, Cook saw an opportunity to address the fire and grabbed a charged hose from the Harper Woods firetruck nearby, putting out the blaze through a window, which allowed other SRT members to enter the home.

“He went above and beyond to do what he thought was best,” Werenski said of Cook’s actions.

Cook also has multiple responsibilities in the department, including serving as the EMS coordinator, EMS instructor, SRT team medic and patrol supervisor of Platoon 3. Werenski said Cook has won two state EMS championships as well as departmental awards that include four unit commendations and a 2019 lifesaving honor.

“He’s just got so much to give, and he’s here to give it,” Werenski said.

Cook said he “felt good” about receiving this latest honor, which is essentially an officer of the year award.

“I just give it 110% every time I come in,” Cook said.

Cook and Lt. Tony Spina — who Werenski called “two of Grosse Pointe Shores’ most highly trained and valuable officers” — were honored with a department citation for their mutual aid response Sept. 2, 2022, to the barricaded gunman situation in Harper Woods. Like Cook, Spina is a member of the SRT. The suspect was found, still armed, in the basement, where officers negotiated with the suspect. Werenski said they used a distraction technique that allowed Cook to rush the suspect and wrestle the gun from him.

“When they went into the basement, they didn’t know where (the suspect) was,” Werenski said. “The patience they exhibited to end this peacefully (was remarkable). … It was very, very brave, what they did, and I’m very proud to work with them.”

For their work on a medical run that included giving a man a tracheostomy to clear his airway, officers Paul Morang and Billy Howe III received a department unit commendation.

“This patient was in critical condition,” Werenski said, adding that the actions of Howe and Morang “directly saved his life.”

“Most ambulance services would have stabilized and transported (the patient), but they cleared his airway,” Werenski continued. “This is a service we pride ourselves on, and I’m very proud of them.”

Sgt. Terry Brown and Sgt. Ryan Wilson were given a department certificate of merit for their work on what started out as an attempted traffic stop and ended in gunfire. This was an incident on which Cook also worked. On Jan. 28, 2022, the Grosse Pointe Shores officers tried to pull over a driver, but he fled into St. Clair Shores and the Grosse Pointe Shores officers terminated their pursuit. St. Clair Shores officers attempted to confront the driver after he drove down a dead-end street. Grosse Pointe Shores officers were on the scene to confirm that the driver was the same one they attempted to pull over. Werenski said his officers suddenly heard gunshots and a crash as the suspect is said to have fired at police and driven toward officers in an effort to escape. Brown and Wilson assisted St. Clair Shores officers in stopping and apprehending the suspect. Werenski said his officers “acted very, very bravely” as police and the suspect exchanged gunfire in this tense standoff, which eventually ended in the suspect surrendering.

“These officers came into a really critical situation and acted admirably,” Werenski said.

Shores Mayor Ted Kedzierski praised the officers on their honors.

“That’s the extraordinary, exceptional service we expect in Grosse Pointe Shores,” Kedzierski said.

City Councilman Donn Schroder also offered his commendations to the officers, noting “how hard (they) work” every day.