Dunn County Sheriff’s Office honors four of its own

MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office honored four members for exceptional service at a September 29 agency ceremony.

Receiving awards were deputies Mathew Feeney, Peter Forbes, Jason Stalker and investigator Dennis Rhead. Dunn County Sheriff Dennis Smith made the presentations.

• Deputy Matthew Feeney – Meritorious Conduct.

On April 23rd, 2014, Deputy Feeney responded to a suicidal subject who was holding a loaded high powered rifle against his chest.

Deputy Feeney negotiated with the subject at great personal risk.

The subject jumped into a frigid river attempting to escape, and began to drown. Deputy Feeney again risked his own life to pull the subject from the river to save the subject’s life.

• Deputy Matthew Feeney – Life Saving Award.

On November 15, 2008, Deputy Feeney responded to a reported structure  fire  in the  Town of Dunn and heroically risked his own safety to save the lives of two occupants of that structure.

• Deputy Peter Forbes – Meritorious Conduct.

On April 23rd, 2014, Deputy Forbes responded to a suicidal subject who was holding a loaded high powered rifle against his chest.

Deputy Forbes negotiated with the subject at great personal risk.

The subject jumped into a frigid river attempting to escape and began to drown. Deputy Forbes again risked his own life to pull the subject from the river and saved his life.

• Investigator Dennis Rhead – Certificate of Merit Award.

Investigator Rhead reopened an armed robbery case that was close to the statute of limitations. He learned that some of the evidence originally collected from the crime scene six years earlier had never been sent to the State Crime Lab. Investigator Rhead sent the over-looked evidence and subsequently identified one of the robbery suspects through a DNA profile. His ensuing investigation identified two more armed robbery suspects. All of the suspects were later charged and brought to justice. Investigator Dennis Rhead’s decision to reopening a cold case and his attention to detail were directly responsible for solving this violent crime.

• Deputy Jason Stalker – Life Saving Award.

On July 17, 2014, Deputy Stalker was dispatched to the Village of Knapp for a choking victim who had turned blue and was unconscious. Deputy Stalker immediately initiated the Heimlich maneuver on the unconscious patient and dislodged the foreign object from his airway saving the victim’s life.