Police, citizen heroes awarded

Seeing an armed robbery suspect inside a Walgreen’s drug store and realizing the man could soon endanger the customers inside the store, two Sarasota police officers entered the store and confronted the suspect.

The man refused to drop his weapon, and Officer Todd Tschetter, feeling threatened, opened fire. The suspect was killed before he could harm anyone.

For his service that day, Tschetter received the Medal of Valor.

“He ignored his own safety to protect the customers inside,” said Capt. Paul Sutton.

Tschetter’s award was just one of more than 100 handed out March 17 during the Sarasota Police Department’s annual awards ceremony.

The awards were presented not only to police officers, but also law enforcement officers from other agencies, who assisted the police department, and regular citizens who helped solve and stop crimes.

Citizens such as Andrew Burhoe and David Nelson, who were inside a gas station when they saw a purse snatcher struggling with a woman, who would not let go of her purse.

The man dragged the victim and began punching her repeatedly.

Burhoe and Nelson ran outside and grabbed the suspect, holding him down until police arrived to arrest him.

The two received the police department’s Citizens’ Certificate of Merit.

The department also named its employees of the year.

Sworn Employee of the Year was Det. Robert Armstrong. Sworn Supervisor of the Year was Sgt. Eric Bolden and Civilian Employee of the Year was Paul Shumway.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].