Kansas City police and civilians are honored for bravery and other good works

As the gunman loomed nearby, Kansas City police officers Anthony Stasiak and Brent Zimmerman left the protection of cover to rescue a Northland woman who had been shot three times by her son.

The officers were among the first to arrive at the Jan. 16 murder-suicide at 5201 NW Linden Road. The gunman, James Jolly, 30, was still inside the house.

Stasiak positioned himself on the northwest side of the house, where he noticed the woman and her dead brother in a pickup parked in front of the house. Without hesitating, Stasiak and Zimmerman dragged the wounded victim 150 yards uphill, in the potential line of fire, to a safe location where they administered first aid and where paramedics could reach her. Police later found Jolly inside the residence, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His mother survived her wounds.

Police Chief Darryl Forté awarded Stasiak and Zimmerman certificates of commendation Tuesday night at an awards ceremony at the Kansas City Police Academy, 6885 NE Pleasant Valley Road.

It was one of many awards the department handed out to officers and civilians.

Forté gave a lifesaving award to Officer Aaron Bryant and civilian Samuel Cohen for stopping a woman from jumping off the Broadway Bridge on May 22.

That incident happened just before 5 p.m. while Bryant was headed to his off-duty job. While driving across the bridge, Bryant noticed a maroon vehicle a few cars ahead of him suddenly swerve and a female driver quickly get out. Seconds later, a passenger flagged down Bryant and yelled, “Oh my God, I think she is going to jump.”

Bryant raced to the bridge and grabbed the woman by the hood of her sweatshirt after she had climbed on top of the railing, held onto a pillar with one hand and tried to jump. Cohen pulled over and helped Bryant as the woman wrestled with him.

Others honored Tuesday night included Officer Rebecca Caster, who served as the first liaison between the police department and the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community; the organizers of the Kansas City No Violence Alliance; officers shot at while on duty; detectives who helped break up a large cargo theft ring; and two officers who helped a group of six homeless people find housing.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Kansas City police and civilians are honored for bravery and other good works."