Four city police officers were among the local law enforcement personnel honored for meritorious service at the annual Ulster County Police Chief’s Association dinner last week. The honorees included a sharp-eyed patrolman who helped detectives swiftly crack a murder case and a trio of officers credited with saving a heart attack victim.
Officer Edward Shuman received a meritorious police service award for his role in investigating the murder of Anthony Garro Jr. On the morning of Nov. 29, 2017, Garro’s battered body was discovered in a trash-strewn former railroad cut on Elmendorf Street. Detectives processed the crime scene and investigated the case for several hours with no leads until Shuman got a major break in the case.
The officer, who had been pulled from administrative duties to assist in the investigation, was canvassing businesses in the area looking for security camera footage when he noticed Seth P. Lyons, 20, standing outside a deli with blood covering his clothes and shoes. Shuman detained Lyons who initially told cops that he had been assaulted the night before. Later that day, after several hours of interrogation Lyons allegedly confessed that he had beaten Garro to death in a dispute over a missing cell phone. Lyons is awaiting trial on a charge of second-degree murder.
Three KPD officers received a meritorious police service award for their lifesaving efforts in a Sept. 5, 2017 incident. On that day, officers Jeremy Arciello, Tiffany Baney and Anthony North were called to a medical emergency at a local auto parts store. When the trio arrived on the scene they discovered a 53-year-old male in cardiac arrest. The three officers immediately began performing CPR and continued the treatment until members of the Kingston Fire Department arrived to transport the victim to HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley’s Broadway campus. Doctors at the hospital credited the swift response by the officers to saving the man’s life.
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