Valor Awards given to police involved in shooting
Sanibel City Council recognized five individuals for acts of composure and heroism they displayed last November during the first shooting ever to take place on Sanibel.
Mayor Kevin Ruane said it was an honor for him to stand before everyone gathered at City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 7. He said words could not express how the Sanibel Police Department has helped with the city’s safety.
The Valor Awards were given to Senior Dispatcher Allison Schulze-Croix, Lee County Deputy Julie Weber, Officer Chad Maik, Officer Christopher Dowaliby and Senior Officer Jared Ciccone.
Schulze-Coix received the award for negotiating and “maintaining the presence of composure, alert talk down under extreme circumstances, which prevented a life threat.” She has worked for the city for more than three years and has had perfect attendance for multiple years.
Weber, Maik and Dowaliby were awarded for “combat cross” for their “performance of an act of extreme heroism while engaged in personal combat with an armed adversary at imminent personal hazard of life in the performance of duty.”
Weber has been a road deputy with the west district in Lee County since January 2016, currently serves in the Army National Guard as an E-4 specialist and was called into active duty in response to Hurricane Matthew.
Maik has had six months of service with the City of Sanibel and 10 months of service with the city as a police aide. He received a good samaritan letter of appreciation in 2016.
Dowaliby has been with the Sanibel Police Department for 10 years with multiple perfect attendance awards. He received a letter of commendation for the arrest of Cuban human smugglers in 2007.
Ciccone was awarded the Medal of Honor for “outstanding act in the line of duty at imminent personal hazard of life, with full knowledge of risk involved.”
He has worked for the City of Sanibel for 10 years as a police officer and has been awarded perfect attendance for multiple years.
“It is really an honor and privilege to be the mayor to the city that obviously (has) a team that does all they do and obviously continues to make sure we are safe. We take it for granted all the time and it is really through your handwork and dedication that makes us feel comfortable to put our heads on our pillow at night,” Ruane said. “I cannot thank you gentleman and ladies enough for all that you do. Again, I can’t thank the Lee County Sheriff’s Department enough for all of their cooperation and partnership we have.”
Ciccone was also awarded the Employee of the Quarter award.
Ruane said he was hired as a police officer in January 2007 and was promoted to senior officer December 2009. He said Ciccone has performed above his duties and has been recognized with life saving accommodations in March 2015, administering AED and CPR through an unresponsive elderly female. Ruane said he was also shot at while involved in a routine traffic stop.
Ruane said his “professionalism, composure, dedication during the shooting incident, although wounded, shared great concern and safety for those involved.”
“I cannot thank you enough. It’s not a phone call I ever want to have again as a mayor, but thank you for everything you do for us. I really appreciate it,” Ruane said.
Council Member Marty Harrity said as he began the meeting with the invocation he looked out into the audience and there was an officer that has been with the city for six months to another serving nine years.
“It’s absolutely amazing. It’s a brutal job. I’m sitting and thinking to myself, on the one hand they help people cross the street, or someone to call about a dog barking in the backyard, or a tree vine that is hanging way too low. And the next thing, you turn around and they are in a gun fight,” he said. “What courage and how lucky we are to have people that are so committed to our safety and well-being and it is a testament to this city and everything the City of Sanibel stands for. I’m just proud to be a citizen of this fine city.”
Vice Mayor Mick Denham said he is very proud to be a part of the city and police force that looks after its citizens.
“We sometimes forget they have a dangerous role that is part of their life, which we sometimes overlook. I am very proud of our police force and the way they did a wonderful job on that particular night and a wonderful job year round,” he said. “We citizens are lucky to have the police force that we do.”
Council Member Jim Jennings commended the police department for the acts of heroism they display daily.
Ciccone, while on “uniformed marked patrol” was conducting a traffic stop in the area of 2330 Periwinkle Way at approximately 7:49 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20. A gray van passed by and shot Ciccone, striking him once in the upper body. Ciccone radioed that shots had been fired and provided a vehicle description, where the shots came from, and the direction the van was traveling. He also indicated that the driver was a male.
Dowaliby, also on uniformed marked patrol, heard the call when he was at 979 E. Gulf Drive. The officer turned west onto Periwinkle Way and located a gray/green van while near 1203 Periwinkle Way traveling eastbound. Dowaliby turned around and got behind the van with his sirens and lights flashing.
He continued to pursue the van until it stopped on Sand Castle Road. The officer saw a man exit the vehicle, later identified as Jon Webster Hay, fire several shots at him with what looked like a rifle. Dowaliby took cover while officers returned fire.
Another Sanibel officer, Chad Maik, witnessed the man exit the driver’s door and open fire with an AR-15 style rifle.
Both of the Sanibel officers’ vehicles were struck by gunfire and approximately 14 spent AR-15 rounds were on the ground.
Hay, 49, of Sanibel, remains in the Lee County Jail on multiple charges including four counts of attempted first degree murder on a law enforcement officer; flee to elude with lights sirens active, and weapon offense missile into dwelling vehicle building or aircraft.