Submitted by The 200 Club of Union County
The Two Hundred Club of Union County has announced that seventeen police officers and firefighters, including two members of the Kenilworth Police Department, have been selected for this year’s Annual Valor Awards Luncheon to be held on Friday, May 11, 2018.
Held at Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains the recipients will receive the prestigious Two Hundred Club Medal of Valor for actions above and beyond the call of duty. The 200 Club, a non-profit organization founded in 1968, is comprised of 400 business leaders from Union County, NJ, who’s core mission is to provide financially for the widows and dependents of Police Officers and Firefighters who are killed in the line of duty. We have grown in mission to now also provide continuing education grants for police officers and firefighters, and a competitive scholarship program for the deserving children of our uniformed protectors in Union County. More information on our organization can be found at www.uc200club.org.
The keynote speaker will be Patricia Ann Norris-McDonald, Mayor of Village of Malverne. Mrs. McDonald is the widow of Steven McDonald, a NYPD officer who was left quadriplegic in 1986 following a shooting in the line of duty. Steven McDonald died age 59 on January 10, 2017. She had been married to Steven for less than year when the shooting took place. At the time the newlywed was pregnant with the couple’s only child. Six months after the shooting she gave birth to a son, Conor McDonald. Mrs. McDonald co-authored the book, The Steven McDonald Story, with her husband NYPD Detective Steven McDonald and appeared often with him to speak about faith and forgiveness.
Kenilworth Police Department Sergeant Michael Scanielo and Officer Ryan Kernan will be honored for the following incident.
On February 1, 2017, at approximately 10:25 p.m., Sergeant Michael Scanielo performed a routine traffic stop for a suspect operating an unregistered vehicle and not observing a traffic control device. During the stop, Sergeant Scanielo detected the odor of raw marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle. When questioned about the marijuana, the suspect, who was still inside the vehicle, became nervous and pulled out an object from the vehicles center console. At this point, Sergeant Scanielo verbally commanded to the suspect to comply with his requests, but it was dark outside, and the suspect decided to abruptly exit the vehicle in an attempt to flee. Patrolman Ryan Kernan, who was also on scene as a back-up unit, identified a handgun on the fleeing suspect and tackled him in the middle of Kenilworth Boulevard. While dodging oncoming traffic in the dark of the night, Sergeant Scanielo and Patrolman Ryan Kernan struggled with the suspect and attempted to place him under arrest. A flashlight was the only illumination they had at their disposal, so vehicles traveling on the Boulevard failed to stop and sped and swerved around them. Luckily Sergeant Scanielo and Patrolman Kernan were able to wrestle away the loaded handgun and secure it. Ultimately the suspect was placed under arrest and charged with several offenses.
Thanks to the quick actions and decisions of both Sergeant Scanielo and Officer Kernan, no one was seriously injured in a situation that could have ended very differently. A firearms trace on the weapon revealed that it was reported stolen in Georgia in 2016.
Sergeant Michael Scanielo and Officer Ryan Kernan put their lives on the line to pursue, wrestle down in oncoming traffic and successfully capture a dangerous criminal yielding a stolen firearm. We recognize them for their heroic efforts and valor.
(above, l-r) Kenilworth Police Sgt. Michael Scanielo and PTL Officer, Ryan Kernan will be honored at the 200 Club Valor Award luncheon on May 11th.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta.
