HPD salutes officers

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Gloria Austin
RECOGNIZED — Houlton Police Officer Theron Bickford, left, receives the Police Purple Heart medal from Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin during the second annual Houlton Police Department Employee Recognition Ceremony held Nov. 15. Bickford was injured while on the job and after five months of rehabilitating, he was back on the force late June.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    There is one award that Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin hopes he never has to give again.
    “This is the first time I have ever presented this award and hopefully the last,” he said.
    Chief Asselin called Officer Theron Bickford to the podium during the second annual Houlton Police Department Employee Recognition ceremony on Nov. 15 to present him with the Police Purple Heart medal.
    Officer Bickford was injured in the line of duty on Jan. 18 when he was attempting to arrest 20-year-old Michael Bennett of Littleton, who was part of an ongoing theft investigation.
    Bickford was only trying to get basic information from Bennett when he became “uncooperative, combative and unruly,” said Asselin.
    Bickford wanted to defuse a volatile situation so he took Bennett to the interview room where he tried to explain to Bennett why he was asked to come to the station. Still unsuccessful, Bickford informed Detective Calaman and Officer Erica Pelletier, who were in dispatch, that Bennett wasn’t going to sign any of the summonses he planned to issue him. Officer Bickford indicated to Detective Calaman and Officer Pelletier that he may be placing Bennett under arrest for failing to sign the summonses and wanted them to be aware of that. 
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
LONGTIME EMPLOYEE — During the second annual Houlton Police Department Employee Recognition Ceremony held Nov. 15, Claudine Blanchette was awarded her 35 year service pin from Chief Butch Asselin.
    Heading back to the interview room to issue Bennett the summons, Detective Calaman and Officer Pelletier could hear Officer Bickford hollering at Bennett to place his hands behind his back. Both officers could hear Bennett screaming, so they ran to the interview room. As both officers approached the interview room, Bennett and Officer Bickford came out from around the corner. Bennett had his arms wrapped around Officer Bickford. Bennett wouldn’t listen to Officer Bickford’s commands to let go of him and stop resisting. 
    Detective Calaman then grabbed on to the right side of Bennett and told him to stop resisting. Bennett continued to fight, which caused Officer Bickford, Detective Calaman and Officer Pelletier to fall to the floor.  As they all fell, Officer Bickford winced in pain and stated his leg was broken. Bennett had a hold of Officer Bickford’s hand and wouldn’t release it. Officer Pelletier attempted to gain control of Bennett’s legs, but he kept kicking and trying to head butt Detective Calaman. 
    Since Officer Bickford was injured and Bennett was still fighting, Officer Pelletier administered the Taser to Bennett in order to gain compliance. Detective Calaman was able to gain control of Bennett’s right arm after the Taser was deployed.
    However, Bennett was still kicking his legs and he still had a grasp on Officer Bickford’s hand. Officer Pelletier then interceded and attempted to gain control of Bennett’s head, but was unsuccessful. Detective Calaman advised he couldn’t gain control of Bennett’s arm so Officer Pelletier administered the Taser once more. At this point, Bennett ceased to resist and was placed in custody.
Contributed photograph
HONORED — Houlton Police Officer Stephen Nason, right, is presented the Employee of the Year plaque from Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin.
    Bickford missed five months of work and went through physical therapy before returning back to the force late June.
    “Unfortunately, and as much as I would like, not every employee is going to be recognized at this ceremony tonight,” said Asselin. “But I can tell you, that every one of them deserves your thanks and gratitude for a job well done.
    “When I look across the room this evening, there are a number of employees here that are deserving of this award, however, I can only choose one,” he said.
    Before presenting the Employee of the Year award, Chief Asselin noted that the one virtue that he admired in this officer was his integrity.
    “You always know where he is coming from,” said Asselin. “There is never any subterfuge. I have witnessed those occasions where he is perhaps too honest when speaking with people or co-workers. There will be no doubt in your mind as to how he feels about something.”
    Officer Stephen Nason, the 2012 Houlton Police Department Employee of the Year, has been with the department for more than six years.
    Asselin described Nason as a “wonderful family man,” who has a great sense of humor, is intelligent, candid, honest and very tenacious when it comes to investigating his cases.”
SERVICE — Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin presented Pastor Wayne Robertson, left, with the Community Service Award during the Houlton Police Department’s second annual Houlton Police Department Employee Recognition Ceremony held Nov. 15.
     Service pins were presented to Claudine Blanchette, 35 years; John “Jack” Galda, 25 years, and Erica Pelletier, five years.
    Also recognized was Wayne Robertson, pastor of the Houlton Wesleyan Church for his Community Service.
    “I think I could speak for hours on the virtues and qualities of this gentleman,” said Asselin. “I truly admire him for his compassion, work ethic and beliefs. I often think that had he selected a different career path, he would have made a fine police officer.”
    An ordained minister since 1983 Pastor Robertson serves as chaplain for the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and regularly attends the District Chiefs Meeting in Caribou.
    “Whenever I bump into Pastor Wayne on Friday nights or weekends, he always has a smile on his face and his hand extended,” added Asselin.
    Since 2009, members the Houlton Police Department, sheriffs department, US Border Patrol and Customs have gathered in front of the Houlton Police Department each May to honor those officers who were killed in the line of duty. A great deal of effort goes into the making the ceremony a memorable one and it involves the efforts of several officers, including the HPD Color Guard members Sgt. Eric Crouse, Det. Kris Calaman, Officer Nason, Officer Stewart Kennedy, Officer Gary McGuire and Officer Charles Wampler III.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Gloria Austin
AWARDED — Houlton Police Officer Stewart Kennedy, left, is presented with an Educational Accomplishment certificate from Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin.
    During the ceremony, Asselin presented Office Kennedy with a certificate for Educational Accomplishment. Kennedy obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In a spirit of cooperation with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the police department has assigned officers to this agency over the past several years. Recognized for a promotion to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency was Officer Erica Pelletier.
    Det. Calaman received acknowledgment for his outstanding service in a Major Crime Investigation, the David Russell case.
    “It’s amazing how many cases we had in a very short period of time involving Houlton people downloading and viewing child pornography,” added Asselin. “I don’t expect that is going to stop very soon.”
    Recognized for a Dangerous Felon Apprehension was Sgt. Crouse, who apprehended Benjamin Gottke, an inmate at the Tensas Parish Detention Center in Waterproof, Louisiana. Gottke was doing time for burglary until he escaped from the facility by stealing an unmarked police cruiser and driving it 1,800 miles to Houlton. At this time a Governor’s warrant has been issued and Gottke is awaiting extradition back to Louisiana.
    Sgt. Wampler was also recognized for his Professional Achievement of his promotion from officer to sergeant this year.
    “In a career that spans 37 years, I have never worked with a better bunch of people than this group here and for that I am grateful,” Asselin said. “I also want to point out that there are citizens and organizations in this community who regularly devote their time and energy to making Houlton a better place to live. These individuals and groups are our unproclaimed heroes. Their sacrifices are many and they too, deserve recognition for what they do.”