Quickactionfromparole
officerssavesfellowofficer
By DEBORAH A. MILES fromunderhisseat.Heputtheknifein theaffectedofficersandtheirco-workers.
PEFDivision236membersatthestate theneckofafemaleparoleofficer,taking Thedeathofthisparoleebringstolight
DivisionofParolereactedswiftlyMarch31 herhostage,accordingtoClemente. aproblemwithinthestateDivisionof
whenaparolee,EricVan Twootherparoleofficers,onemaleand Parole–theneedformetaldetectorsto
Reid,grabbedafemale onefemale,stoodoneachsideofhimand screenparoleesforweaponswhenthey
paroleofficerandhelda orderedhimtodroptheweaponand enterparoleoffices.
knifetoherthroat. releasethehostage.Herefused.Both “Wehavebeenfightingtogetmetal
VanReid,50,ignored officersshothim. detectorsinallourofficesasfarbackas
theordersfromother “Weexpecttheofficerswhodidthe thelate1990swhenaparoleeinNew
paroleofficersatthe shootingwillbeexonerated,sincethey Rochellecametoreportinawheelchair.
QueensParoleOfficeat92- usedthenecessaryforcetoprotectthelife Hehadagunandkilledhimself.Havinga
36MerrickBoulevardtodroptheweapon ofafellowparoleofficer,”Clementesaid. metaldetectorisessential.Wehavefound
andreleasethehostage. VanReidhadonlybeenoutof knives,guns,drugsandrazorblades
Twoparoleofficersshotandkilledhim, prisonfivemonths.Hehad onparolees.Ifwehadmetal
savingthehostage’slife. spent21yearsofhislifebehind detectors,itwoulddeterparolees
“Theparoleofficersweredoingwhatwe barsforaseriesofburglariesin frombringinginanyweapons,”
callanoperationcleansweepthatday,” theSyracusearea.Hiscriminal Clementesaid.
saidPEFDivision236CouncilLeader recordbeganwhenhewas16 PEFPresidentKenBrynien
ManuelitaClemente,alsoaparoleofficer. andwasconvictedofrobbinga contactedHenryLemons,interim
“Periodically,theysearchallthe 71-year-oldwoman. chairofthestateParoleBoard,and
paroleescomingintoreporttomakesure In1987,VanReidbrokeinto DeniseO’Donnell,deputysecretary
theyhavenodrugsorweapons.WhileVan awoman’shomeinSyracuse, forpublicsafetyandcommissioner
Reidwassittinginthe hitherintheheadwitha ofCriminalJusticeServices.
corner,hewasvery wrenchseveraltimes,produced Brynienthankedthemforthe
fidgety.Theysuspectedhe aknife,coveredherbodyinsoap division’squickresponsetothe
hadaweapon,”Clemente andrapedher. Queensincidentandraisedtheneed
said. Healsoshotapoliceofficerin formetaldetectors.
Theincidentbegan thestomachandescapedfrom ClementesaidPEFVicePresident
whenparoleofficers RikersIsland,accordingtostate
Metal
PatBakerwasalsoonthescene
noticedVanReidtook records.
detector
helpingthedozensofparoleofficers
somethingoutofhisbag Theofficerwhowasheld whowitnessedtheshootingrecover
andhiditunderhischair. hostage receivedminorphysical fromthetrauma.
CLEMENTE
Whenconfronted injuriesfromdroppingtothefloor. “IwasveryproudofPEFandtheway
aboutwhathewas PEFleadershavebeenworkingwith theunionrespondedtothistragedy,”
hiding,vanReidstoodup parolemanagerstomobilizetrauma Clementesaid.
andpulledaknifeout responsepersonneltoprovidesupportto
Syracuseparoleofficerdiesonicyroad
Anicyroadledtothe hadhere.Hedidthejobthebesthe offeredtheunion’ssupportbyoutlining
deathofaSyracuse couldandneverlookedback.Every thebenefitsavailableandofferingthe
paroleofficerMarch19. paroleofficerwouldliketoworklikeJeff assistanceofPEFstaff.
PEFDivision236 Woolsondid.” PEFRegion4CoordinatorDon
memberJeffreyWoolson Inremembrance,theSyracuseparole Kehoskiesaidtheaccidentwasasad
wastravelingwhileonthe officerstookacollectionanddonatedthe exampleofhowstateworkersputtheir
jobtoanassignmenton
WOOLSEN
moneytoalocalfoodpantryinWoolson’s livesonthelineeveryday,nomatter
CountyRoute11in name,acausethatwasclosetohis whattheirjobmaybe.
Monroe,OswegoCounty, heart.AndthestateDivisionofParole “JeffreyWoolsonwasperforminghis
whenhisvehicleslidoff presentedaplaquetohisfamily, dutyforthepeopleinthestateofNew
theroadandstruckatree,killinghim. commemoratingthegoodworkhe York,”Kehoskiesaid.“Itcanbeahazard,
Heleftbehindhismotherandbrother. accomplishedduringhislife. andinthiscase,arealloss.”
Woolson,41,wasadmiredbyhis Woolsonwasastateparoleofficerfor “Itisatragicloss,”Bryniensaid.“Our
fellowparoleofficers. alittlemorethantwoyears,andhad sinceresympathiesgoouttohismother,
“Hewasthefirstonetohelpout,and servedfor14yearswiththeOswego brotherandfellowparoleofficerswith
thelastguytoleaveeveryday,”said CountyProbationDepartment. whomheworked.”
ParoleOfficerJohnWalters.“Hewasone PEFPresidentKenBrynienwroteto — Deborah A. Miles
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PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
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