BELTRAMI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES RECOGNIZED FOR LEFESAVING ACTIONS

Beltrami County Sheriff’s Deputies Jamie Scherf, George D. Brook, and Anthony Petrie were recognized as “Top Cops” this week in Washington, DC. for their coordinated efforts in a rescue mission involving three children. The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) launched the awards program in 1994. The TOP COPS Awards® have paid tribute to outstanding law enforcement officers across the country for actions above and beyond the call of duty. TOP COPS® awardees are nominated by their fellow officers for outstanding service during the preceding calendar year.

The TOP COPS® are selected by an Awards Selection Committee comprised of national law enforcement representatives who choose one TOP COPS® case from each state and U.S. territory. The Beltrami County case was selected to represent the state of Minnesota. Deputies Brook, Scherf and Petrie were flown to Washington to accept an Honorable Mention Award by their fellow officers- members of the Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police Association.

The Deputies were honored for their lifesaving efforts which occurred on April 6, 2012. The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office received 9-1-1 calls reporting a sailboat with four victims, including three kids, capsized on Clearwater Lake. Deputies Brook, Petrie and Scherf immediately responded. Upon arrival, Brook and Petrie located the adult male, and then saw 3 bodies floating in the frigid water. Petrie took charge of the scene and coordinated the law enforcement and EMS response units. Despite the cold, Deputy Brook entered the water and retrieved the 2-year-old from a responder who had swum out to get the child. Brook then swam the child back to shore, where a waiting squad car took them to meet an ambulance which was enroute to the scene. Deputy Brook performed CPR on the victim until the boy was turned over to the EMS crew. In the meantime, Deputy Scherf and another responder commandeered a boat and rowed out to collect the 6 and 8-year-old boys who were still in the water. Scherf began immediate CPR on both children as each was brought aboard the rowboat. Once they were back on dry land, Scherf and Petrie carried the children to waiting ambulances. The quick actions of these deputies saved the life of an 8-year-old boy.

Deputies Brook, Scherf and Petrie were nominated for this honor by Deputy Sam Lundquist.

Sheriff Phil Hodapp