Six officers honored for saving gas-soaked man

By John Nickerson, Staff Writer
The Advocate Article Launched: 09/25/2008 02:41:42 AM EDT

NORWALK - Six police officers who kept a gasoline-drenched man from igniting himself with a lighter were celebrated Tuesday as August's Officers of the Month.

Early in the morning of Aug. 15, police were called to a Bedford Street home where the man threatened to light himself on fire as he sat in his car.

The man, who had left the home before police arrived, was stopped on Fairview Avenue by officer Stephen Jaeger, according to a report by Sgt. Bruce Hume.

Jaeger saw the man was saturated with a liquid that smelled of gasoline and held a cigarette lighter.

Hume called for an ambulance and Norwalk Fire Department backup.

As fire engine 2 arrived, the man pulled away from the car stop and was then boxed in by other patrol units further down Fairview Avenue.

As officer Carl Williams tried to calm him down, the man lit the lighter and held it up, again threatening to set himself on fire.

Also keeping the man talking were officers Bryan Deak and David Peterson.

Hume asked fire Lt. Adam Markowitz if it would be possible to spray water on the man through his open window. Markowitz said they could.

After the man lit a rag on fire and a fire or explosion seemed imminent, officer Greg Riley told Hume that he could temporarily blind the man with his cruiser light as firefighters approached.

"The plan worked perfectly, (the man) was blinded, saturated and removed from the vehicle by the fire department," Hume wrote in his report.

Hume, Riley, Williams, Jaeger, Deak and Peterson were recognized as officers of the month by the Police Commission on Tuesday. Markowitz and firefighters Gregory DiGiovani, James Mills and Patrick St. Onge were also commended for their actions.

"There is no manual to handle something like that," Police Chief Harry Rilling said. "You draw on past training or experience. Hopefully, these men will not be confronted with a situation like that again.

"You have to use your creative skills and have to be prepared to act quickly and effectively. These officers showed a tremendous ability to do that."

- Staff Writer John Nickerson can be reached at john.nickerson@scni.com or at 750-5307.