It is an event Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said they could hold weekly. It is a chance to recognize bravery, quick thinking, and dedication.
"I know what you do. I admire what you do and i can't thank you enough," Davis said to the auditorium of honorees Thursday.
The list of honorees was long and started with people whose names you may recognize, like Munir Bahar with the 300 Men March, Ericka Alston with the Penn North Kids Safe Zone, or Marcus Dent, with Baltimore Guardian Angels.
Guardian Angels is a global volunteer crime watch organization. Dent told ABC2 he was humbled being amongst so many first responders and hearing the details of their heroism.
"There are 10,000 community people out there that are doing something that aren't recognized everyday. But then you see these first responders that are getting awards for saving babies and bullets and getting shot at and these guys are heroes. There are tons of me, but I wish everybody could see what our first responders do everyday," Dent said.
Honored along with the officers were two city fire department paramedics who stepped up to help their fellow first responders during last April's unrest.
"I honestly don't see how anyone could not remember that day. Those two gentlemen, they joined in with the police forces. They went in and they helped extricate injured officers from a very terrible scene that day," Mark Fletcher, Deputy Chief of EMS, said.
It is a day and a time that changed the city and so many lives at the same time.
"You'll look back on this day, and you'll say, 'I was part of making a diff at a very historic time in our city and our nation's history'," Davis said.
Find a list of Thursday's honorees below:
- Munir Bahar – Founder, 300 Men March
- Marcus “Strider” Dent – Chapter Commander, Baltimore Guardian Angels
- Liz Koontz – Employee Outreach Manager, Live Baltimore
- Ginger Mihalik – Executive Director, Outward Bound Baltimore
- Ericka Alston – Director of PR, Marketing and Business Development, Penn North Community Resource Center
- Reverend Glenna Huber – Receiving award on behalf of BUILD.
Tactical medics who courageously assisted the Baltimore Police Department in a time of unrest:
- Tactical Paramedic Coleman is awarded the Citizens Award.
- Tactical Paramedic Faries is awarded the Citizens Award.
The Life Saving Award:
- Major James Handley
- Detective Willie Craft
- Sergeant Brian Atwood
- Officer Dylan LaPorta
- Officer Verga
- Officer Mullin
The Commendation is awarded for members who display extraordinary intelligence, coverage and ability in effecting arrests and preventing a crime or solving a case.
- Officer Victor Villifane
- Officer George Parker
- Officer James Sisco
- Officer Daniel Belen
- Officer Tivon Green
The Bronze Star is awarded to members who distinguish themselves by displaying exceptionally meritorious service to the department and to the community
- Sergeant Robert Corso
- Sergeant Guy Thacker
- Sergeant William Harris
- Officer Chris Timms
- Officer Jeff Archambault
- Officer Chris Merion
- Officer Cameron Catron
- Sergeant Wayne Jenkins
- Sergeant Lavern Ellis
- Detective Abraham Velez
- Detective Allen Dorsey
- Detective Vernon Fuller
- Detective Daniel Counsell
- Detective Dennis Gunther
- Detective William Taylor
- Sergeant Jeffrey Young
- Sergeant David Brust
- Officer Dean Curtis
- Officer Jonathan Parker
- Officer Donald Thomas
- Officer Jessica Williams
- Officer Jason Jukam
- Officer John Bartoszak
- Officer Anne Bucksbaum
- Officer Adrian Ortiz
- Officer Luis Garcia
- Officer James Wissman
- Officer Charles Craig
- Officer Joseph Brewer
- Officer Brian Loiero
- Officer Steven Downing
- Officer Richard Whittaker
- Lieutenant Brian Hopkins
- Sergeant Thomas Mistysyn
- Officer Deonte Duck
- Officer Nicholas Chapman
- Officer Johnny Cardenas
- Officer Daniel Vernes
- Officer Arthur Hood
- Lieutenant Matthew Johnson
