Tallmadge honors three officers for crisis response, community service and investigative work

Tallmadge City Council and police leadership recognized three officers during the Feb. 27 meeting for actions and long-term service to the community.

Chief Bohan and Mayor Kilway presented Sergeant Ralph Stover with a Distinguished Service Medal for a Nov. 6, 2024 mutual-aid call in which Stover spent roughly 55 minutes communicating with a barricaded, suicidal woman and persuaded her to exit without violence; the woman was transported to the hospital. Chief Bohan noted Sergeant Stover is the crisis-intervention-team coordinator and praised his years of work coordinating community resources.

Officer David Quillen received the department'9s first Community Service Medal, the citation said, for extensive volunteer work with local schools and community events, including mentoring, Shop with a Cop, Special Olympics fundraisers and other outreach that the department said benefited children and residents across the city.

Sergeant Patrick Fairhurst was recognized with a Distinguished Service Medal for long-term work in the detective bureau, including investigation and successful prosecutions involving large-scale fraud, an international cyber extortion case and collaboration with federal authorities; the citation also noted his prior service as a deputy U.S. marshal and awards from out-of-jurisdiction prosecutors. Chief Bohan read the citations and thanked the officers for their service.

Council members and the mayor offered brief congratulations. The recognitions were ceremonial; no formal council action or vote was recorded.