Markus Wenthe heard screams from outside the UC Davis Medical Center where he was working last December.
The mild-mannered computer supervisor rushed outside to find a carjacking in progress in Lot 17 on X Street. Immediately Wenthe chased the suspect, who had already threatened three drivers and was still searching for a victim outside the Administrative Support Building.
When Wenthe caught up to the suspect, he knocked him down and held on for dear life.
"Wenthe then detained the suspect by bear hugging him until we could arrive," said Rita Spaur, captain of the UC Davis Police Department.
Wenthe and 23 others – mostly UC Davis employees – were recognized Jan. 24 at the 10th annual Citizens Appreciation Ceremony held by the UC Davis Police Department. More than 100 people gathered at the Courtyard by Marriott in Sacramento for a collection of tales in courage, ranging from helping construct a new police facility to tackling a dangerous prisoner.
Honorees included Bruce Boles, a mechanic at the physical plant nominated for three separate actions, including cleaning up a potential toxic spill, assisting in a possible bomb threat, and helping catch somebody who stole a UC Davis police car. Also honored in those cases were Alan Cooper, a building maintenance worker; Richard Knee, a campus locksmith; David Roush, a California correctional officer; and Rafael Vicente, a law enforcement officer.
Elaine Bose, a lab assistant in agronomy and range science, took the initiative to alert campus officials when steam began leaking in Hunt Hall last October – "quite possibly lives were saved," noted Spaur in extending to Bose the Citizens Appreciation Award.
Bruce Presley, an environmental services employee, and Jina Scarr, a nurse at the medical center, bumped into a prisoner in the hospital elevator who had just received medical treatment – and was avoiding more than paying his bill.
"Jina recognized the subject’s orange clothing as jail attire," chuckled Spaur, "and realized the subject was attempting to escape."
Scarr enlisted the help of nearby Presley, who chased the prisoner into a van outside. Presley reached into the van, grabbed the prisoner‘s hair and yanked him into submission.
"Officers later told Bruce he had executed a perfect hair- pull take down."
Not all the honorees had to risk life and limb. Kathleen Moore, a director of management analysis and planning, was recognized, as Spaur described it, for "moving heaven and Earth" in projects involving construction on new police facilities, including a Campus Emergency Operations Center.
Janet Hamilton, the vice chancellor for administration who is retiring, also received an award for her "innovation and commitment" to issues involving campus safety and the police.
"She is the ultimate citizen," said Chief of Police Calvin Handy.
Dennis Shimek, the associate vice chancellor for human resources, was acknowledged for establishing a security- check system for prospective employees in sensitive areas. Now, the campus can know within 72 hours, instead of several months, whether a particular applicant has a criminal history. Shimek also received praise for improving campus access for disabled persons.
Last November when a sexual assault and attempted rape of a female student was reported at the Social Sciences and Humanities Building, members of the campus’ grounds crew assisted police in establishing control over the scene. The workers honored with the Citizens Appreciation Award included Carole Cukrov, Pete DeSouza, Saul Ochoa, George Lamb, Mary Rumsey, Lisbeth McGill, Ronald Brown, William Self, Michael Griffith and Scott Futymoski.
Mark Ruppenphal represented the city of Moraga’s police department, which assisted UC Davis in implementing a motorcycle training program for officers. Jack Harris received credit for upgrading the police department’s fleet of vehicles. Terrea Parker, a student housing employee, earned plaudits for working with the police department on training programs for student safety.
The audience heard a keynote speech from Michael Mason, the FBI special agent in charge of the Sacramento division. He noted how often police benefit from citizens in catching criminals.
"Many of the FBI’s largest cases have been solved simply by citizens coming forward," Mason said.
Handy rewarded Ruben Arias with the 2002 Officer of the Year Award. "He is a role-model for all employees within the UC Davis Police Department," the chief said.
Arias said, "I owe it all to my wife and family, who allow me to work the hours a police officer does."
Poppy Davis, an assistant in the police department, and Robin Parlow, a crime prevention specialist, were selected as Employees of the Year.
In his speech, Handy discussed the importance of the "partnership between the police and the community." The origins of this union, Handy said, date back to 1829 when Sir Robert Peel established the first police force in London on the premise that the "police are the public, and the public is the police."
Wenthe said he was surprised to be honored for his actions. When the police department recently called to tell him he would receive the Citizens Appreciation Award, Wenthe’s co-workers paged him and told him: "The police are calling you."
"I said, ‘I hope I didn’t doing anything wrong,’" he said, grinning.
Far from it.