Two cops who chased down an armed man in April and two others who made a lot of arrests in May were honored June 30 by members of the 15th Police District Advisory Council.
Police said Officers Michael Chichearo and Matthew Winscom saw a man with a gun on the 5300 block of Lesher Street at 7:53 p.m. on April 23. Chichearo saw the man, later identified as 23-year-old Ronald Leach, go into a home on the block, and run through the house. While the officer chased Leach, police said, Winscom cleared residents out of the house.
Police said Chichearo pursued Leach on Brill and Darrah streets before catching up to him and putting him under arrest. A search of the house netted two firearms police believe were used in shootings. Besides guns, police found drugs.Leach is facing weapons and related charges. He remains in custody.
Winscom and Chichearo were named the district’s April officers of the month.
Officers Brian McBride and Daniel Murphy were so honored as May’s officers of the month, police said, for the volume of their work. Working in the city’s busiest district, the two made several felony arrests, a score of vehicle stops and responded to 191 radio calls.
Alan Leppert, the PDAC’s president, thanked the officers’ families, who had come to the meeting in the Mayfair Community Center.
In June, there were 65 robberies in the district and 20 robbery arrests. There were 82 burglaries and five arrests. There were 57 narcotics investigations that resulted in 54 arrests.
Treasurer Pete Specos said the organization hopes to conduct a gun buyback sometime in the fall. At such events, people can turn in guns with no questions asked. Usually, they’re rewarded with gift cards. Specos said the PDAC is looking for sponsors. ••
