Updated: Eight Township Officers Receive 200 Club ‘Valor Awards’

Det. Drew Lea, Det. Derek Miller, Officer Steven Ellmyer, Lt. Darrin Russo and Chief Lawrence Roberts (left to right) at the 200 Club of Somerset County awards luncheon.

Eight township police officers will receive Valor Awards May 16 from the 200 Club of Somerset County.

The awards will be presented at a luncheon held at The Palace on Davison Avenue.

The officers who received the awards are: Steven Elmyer, Nick Gambino, Brian Quigley, Walter Skrobowski, Deyo Swartz, Det. Drew Lea, Det. Derek Miller and Lt. Darrin Russo.

Township Police Chief Lawrence Roberts said the officers being commended “exemplify the level of dedication and professionalism that the entire agency provides to this community. I am proud of all the men and women of the Franklin Police.”

Elmyer, Gambino, Quigley, Skrobowski and Swartz were commended for their actions in an April 15, 2015 house fire, in which they helped save a victim trapped in the house.

Elmyer and Swartz were the first to arrive and saw the house engulfed in flame.s They were approached by the victim’s daughter, who told them her mother was still in the house.

The two officers ran to the rear of the house, where they were able to enter through a back door. They were overcome by smoke and heat about 15 feet ito the structure and had to retreat.

Officers Walter Skrobowski, Deyo Swartz, Nick Gambino and Ellmyer receive their awards, with Chief Roberts looking on.

By that time, Quigley, Skrowbowski and Gambino had arrived and were led to the woman’s bedroom window by her daughter. They broke out several windows, after which Gambino entered the mother’s empty bedroom.

Swartz then heard Skrobowski yelling that the mother was at the rear of the home. The two entered the home and found the victim about 25 feet inside. The woman initially fought them when they tried to rescue her because she was disoriented and thought she was being kidnapped. The officers were able to carry the woman safely out of the house.

Officer Deyo Swartz	Officer Brian Quigley	Lt. Darrin Russo	Det. Derek Miller
Det. Drew Lea	Officer Nick Gambino	Officer Steven Ellmyer	Officer Walter Skrobowski

Ellmyer was also commended for his role in a July 23, 2015 incident, where an apparent robbery of a Hamilton Street store was thwarted.

Elmyer was patrolling the street in his car when he saw a suspicious car in the store’s parking lot. The car’s description match done linked to several recent armed robberies in the area.

Ellmyer put the information out over the police radio, after which Russo arrived on the scene. Russo saw a person behind a gas station, in the side lot nee the convenience store. The man was moving something over the bottom of his face when he was approached by a woman, after which they both started walking toward the store.

Russo noticed that the man was holding something on the right side of his pants’ waist band.

Russo pulled his car into the lot, where he was spotted by the man, The two then walked toward a parked car, drive by a third man.

Russo confronted the trio and held them at gunpoint until assistance arrived. After they ere arrested, officers found in the car a knife, a handgun and a syringe.

Interviews by Lea and Miller resulted in the trio confessing to several armed robberies.

Franklin High School student Caitlin R. Hibbard received a $2,500 scholarship award.

The 200 Club also presented 13 students with $2,500 scholarships. Among those being awarded a scholarship was Caitlin R. Hibbard of Franklin High School.

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