East Hampton Town Police Officers Honored for Helping Save -- and Start -- Lives

The East Hampton Town Police Department named Officer Bradley Hughes its Officer of the Year, in part for his actions in response to a drug overdose victim on whom he performed CPR and administered the anti-overdose drug Naloxone, saving the woman’s life.

The department’s awards committee also gave special recognition to Officer Grace Peterson, who helped a woman give birth on the front porch of her home and whom the family also credited with possibly saving the life of the baby, which had the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck.

Early in the morning on October 10, Hughes, an East Hampton native and six-year veteran of the department, responded to a report of an unconscious woman at Gurney’s Resort in Montauk. When he arrived, along with Officer Tyler Gilbride, they found the woman not breathing and began administering CPR.

The officers gave her two doses of Naloxone, but saw no response and continued CPR for more than five minutes before she began breathing again and developed a weak pulse. The woman ultimately regained consciousness before being taken to the hospital for further treatment.

Chief Michael Sarlo said that Hughes recently completed a rigorous “drug recognition expert” training course through the Suffolk County Police Department that teaches officers to recognize the signs of drug impairment — an increasingly concerning issue as marijuana use becomes legalized in New York, but not behind the wheel of a vehicle and without the easier to detect signs of alcohol use and intoxication.

“He spent a tremendous amount of his own personal time studying and attended 160 hours of training at SCPD and in Jacksonville, Florida,” Sarlo said. “He was the only member of the class who was not a highway patrol officer, or assigned to a DWI enforcement unit and earned valedictorian of the class. His work since being certified has been tremendous, handling all of the processing and testing for driving while impaired by drug arrests for the department.

“With legalized marijuana laws in New York State, and no chemical blood test for determining the level of impairment, a DRE testimony is essential and his work has been exemplary.”

Peterson was given a special department recognition for her role in helping a mother through a difficult childbirth, far from medical assistance. Peterson, a mother of two, was praised by the male officers who also responded to the home in northern East Hampton last April for having taken charge of the scene as the mother went into labor on the front porch. The baby’s father, who was present, said Peterson may have saved his new daughter’s life when the baby came out “blue as a Smurf” with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.

Sarlo said that it was the first time in his more than 25 years of working for the department that an officer had delivered a baby.

“We are extremely proud of the outstanding work done by so many of our officers,” the chief offered. “Our focus on community policing, improved professional standards, seeing investigations through and providing public safety services for our community is quite evident in the officers receiving awards. We easily could have had three or four officers of the year this past year.”

Other department awards were given to Detective Arthur Scalzo, Lieutenant Chelsea Tierney, Hughes, Officer James Gesa, Officer Matthew Griffiths, Officer Robert Stone and Officer Ross Hamilton. Officer Andrea Kess was given a recognition for being the top DWI law enforcer, and Griffiths, Gilbride, Hughes, Officer Jake Bramwell and Marine Patrol Officer Melanie Anderson were given the Lifesaving Award. The awards were announced on January 23.

“There are so many tremendous small acts of good work which go unrecognized throughout the year as well,” the chief said. “We thank all our officers, dispatchers and marine patrol for the work they do day in and day out.”