LIBERTY — Three members of the Village of Liberty Police Department (LPD) were recognized during last week’s village board meeting with the prestigious “Life Saving Award” for their actions on May 29th of this year. 

According to LPD Chief Steven D’Agata, the department received a 911 call that day regarding a small child with a leg laceration and  uncontrolled bleeding on Mars Lane in Liberty. LPD responded along with the New York State Police and Mobile Medic Ambulance.  

On the scene LPD Sgt. Austin Sauer was joined by LPD Officers Brandon Persell, Breann Jones and Andres Arestin. 

“Responding officers found a hectic and chaotic scene,” said D’Agata. “The front porch to the apartment was covered in the blood of a two-year old child who lay on the porch surrounded by several panicked adults and children, including the injured child’s parents and siblings.”

Recognizing that the child’s injury could be life-threatening, Officer Persell directed Officer Arestin to summon on-duty dispatcher Jeff Ashdown, who is also a New York State Certified EMT.

While waiting for Ashdown, Sgt. Sauer applied pressure to wound while doing his best to console the child and keep him conscious. 

“Once on the scene, dispatcher and EMT Ashdown took control of the emergency medical response, directing our officers, members of the NYSP and arriving Mobile Medic members in various tasks to care for this young patient. Troopers administered Quick Clot, a hemostatic clotting agent to the wound and officers Jones and Persell worked on splinting and stabilizing the child’s leg. Ashdown made several rapid fire decisions within seconds that I believe saved this child’s life.”

Police requested a helicopter transport for the child but were advised it could take 25 minutes. At that moment, Ashdown decided to have the child rushed by ambulance to Garnett Medical Center - Catskills. Ashdown jumped into the ambulance and continued to provide care to the child until they reached the emergency room. 

“While all of the responding officers, troopers and emergency medical service personnel contributed to saving this child’s life, I believe that the actions of Sauer, Persell and Ashdown were exemplary and worthy of recognition,” Chief D’Agata said.   

Swearing in Ceremony. 

Chief Steve D’Agata also welcomed Harold Nunuvero as the newest officer to join the ranks of the Village of Liberty Police Department. A graduate of Mount Ida College in Massachusetts where he studied criminal justice, Nunuvero completed his police academy training at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Training Center in 2016. Nunuvero worked for the Village of Ellenville Police Department for around seven years. 

“In addition to his knowledge and experience as a law enforcement officer, Officer Nunuvero is also bilingual,” said Chief D’Agata. “He has been able to foster connections with large segments of the community that our department has previously struggled to connect with because of language barriers ... I believe that Officer Nunuvero will be a great addition to our department and will meet and exceed all of my expectations of professionalism in law enforcement."