Sarasota police officers receive Life Saver Awards

By Andrew Warfield
| 11:30 a.m. February 24, 2026

SPD Chief Rex Troche (left) and Deputy Chief Scott Mayforth (right) with (from left) Lt. Andrew Combs, Officer Nate Lynn, Officer Nick Bruno, Officer Ridge Collins, Officer Brenton Bieker, Det. Laura Bobitz and Officer Tim Dederick. They and others were involved in stopping a suicide threat on the Ringling Bridge.

Sarasota
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The Sarasota Police Department has honored several officers with Life Saver Awards for their actions in 2025.

Just prior to 11 p.m. on April 29, 2025, while on bike patrol Officer Ryan Howell encountered a man who had climbed onto the outside of the John Ringling Causeway railing and was threatening to jump. Howell called for assistance and began calmly speaking with the man, working to build trust and keep him engaged. Supervisors and members of the department’s Crisis Negotiation Unit responded and, for several hours, maintained steady, compassionate communication focused on bringing the situation to a safe resolution.

When a critical moment presented itself, officers acted swiftly by reaching out, securing the man and pulling him back over the railing to safety. That final action was captured on body camera footage and can be viewed on the SPD’s Facebook page.

Along with Howell, honored with the Life Saving Award were Lt. Andrew Combs; Lt. Dwayne Shellhammer; Sgt. Anthony Frangioni; Officers Brenton Bieker, Ridge Collins, Leslie Kismartoni, Michael Pietron, Tim Dederick, Nate Lynn, Nick Bruno and Zachary Manning; and Detectives Lauren Stevens and Laura Bobitz

“I’m incredibly proud of our officers. We honored these officers with the Life Saving Award because this incident reflects extraordinary teamwork, patience and an unwavering commitment to preserving life,” SPD Chief Rex Troche told the Observer.

Sarasota Police Officer and Life Saver Award recipient Shane Gaines is flanked by Police Chief Rex Troche (left) and Deputy Chief Scott Mayforth.

Another Life Saving Award was given to Officer Shane Gaines, who responded to a medical emergency at a home on Christmas Day, 2025.

Upon arriving, Gaines found a person in cardiac arrest and immediately began administering CPR, continuing until Sarasota County paramedics arrived. Thanks to Gaines’ actions, paramedics were able to restore the person’s pulse before transported them to Sarasota Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment.

“Our officers are committed to protecting lives, not just through enforcement, but through understanding and support,” Troche said of Gaines’ actions. “Situations like this are a powerful reminder that in a medical emergency, every second matters.”

author

Andrew Warfield

Andrew Warfield is the Sarasota Observer city reporter. He is a four-decade veteran of print media. A Florida native, he has spent most of his career in the Carolinas as a writer and editor, nearly a decade as co-founder and editor of a community newspaper in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.