Post by admin on Jun 13, 2007 4:57:45 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/0613/Front_Page/031.html
Police, council honor resident's selfless act
Stacey Sunnerville answered neighbor's call for help after burglary
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - Stacey Sunnerville is a hometown hero.
Sunnerville, 53, of Bannard Street, was honored by the Borough Council on June 2 in recognition of his selfless act to pursue and catch a juvenile male who had broken into a borough home May 1.
In recognition of Sunnerville's efforts and in honor of his bravery and courage, Police Chief Mitch Roth and a team of police officers attended the council's June 2 meeting to present Sunnerville with a plaque attesting to his actions.
Roth extended the police department's appreciation and gratitude for Sunnerville's display of courage, bravery and determination in regard to the capture of the burglar.
"Without hesitation, and with total disregard for your own personal safety, you not only responded to your neighbor's cries of help, but you singlehandedly pursued and apprehended a burglar who had just burglarized a residence on Lenoir Avenue," Roth said. "In addition, you recovered the stolen jewelry which was subsequently returned to the owner."
Roth called Sunnerville's actions heroic and a credit to his character. He said Sunnerville's family and friends should be very proud as he has "made the Freehold community very proud as well."
Roth later referred to Sunnerville as a "hometown hero who put his personal well-being aside and acted in an extremely selfless manner."
The police chief said although he would not recommend that nonprofessionals go looking for danger, "it is comforting to know there are certain people out there who care enough for their fellow man or woman to assist them in their time of need or crisis. Actually, Mr. Sunnerville is just the type of gentleman we need to start a crime watch program."
According to police, a resident of Lenoir Avenue came home at about 5:30 p.m. May 1 and encountered an intruder in her home.
The woman attended the June 2 council meeting and described for the News Transcript the surprise she experienced upon arriving home and hearing noises. She said she initially thought her mother might be upstairs, and was shocked to find a person she did not know coming down the stairs.
At that point she ran out of the house, fearful for her safety. The burglar ran right behind her.
That is when Sunnerville entered the picture.
Sunnerville, who lives behind Lenoir Avenue, heard the woman scream for help and began a pursuit of the burglar. He initially chased the suspect on foot. He then got into his truck, followed the suspect to the Stokes Street area and eventually managed to get the suspect to surrender in front of a residence in the Kingsley Square development.
Sunnerville and the suspect then waited for police to arrive. Police apprehended the juvenile.
The woman said that on the day after the incident, she had an alarm system installed in the home she has lived in for 27 years.
"We have never had a problem here," she said.
Calling the ceremony "very emotional," she said she was glad that Sunnerville received a richly deserved honor
"There is nothing I could do to thank him enough for what he did. If not for him, I never would have known who the burglar was," she said.
After the incident, she said, she wrote a letter to Roth and the Borough Council.
Roth said the ceremony was already in the works before the letter even arrived.
In a subsequent conversation, Sunnerville said, "Some people would consider this a heroic act, but it was really just a reaction to someone who was in trouble and needed help. We don't normally think of the ramifications of our actions. In cases like this, we don't think of ourselves, we just try to help."
Sunnerville, who was raised in Asbury Park, works for Utiliquest in Freehold. He said he was glad that things "worked in his favor."
"Yes, I could have gotten hurt, but that was the last thing on my mind. I heard the screaming, realized who it was and went to help," he explained.
Sunnerville said when he finally caught up with the burglar, he told the youth to get on his knees, which the juvenile did, while they waited for police to arrive.
Sunnerville said he was deeply affected by the show of gratitude from Roth, the police department, the council and by the gift of the plaque. He said the ceremony made him "choked up."
Sunnerville summed up his feelings about what he did and how he feels about his community, saying, "This is our town and it will be what we make it."
Police, council honor resident's selfless act
Stacey Sunnerville answered neighbor's call for help after burglary
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - Stacey Sunnerville is a hometown hero.
Sunnerville, 53, of Bannard Street, was honored by the Borough Council on June 2 in recognition of his selfless act to pursue and catch a juvenile male who had broken into a borough home May 1.
In recognition of Sunnerville's efforts and in honor of his bravery and courage, Police Chief Mitch Roth and a team of police officers attended the council's June 2 meeting to present Sunnerville with a plaque attesting to his actions.
Roth extended the police department's appreciation and gratitude for Sunnerville's display of courage, bravery and determination in regard to the capture of the burglar.
"Without hesitation, and with total disregard for your own personal safety, you not only responded to your neighbor's cries of help, but you singlehandedly pursued and apprehended a burglar who had just burglarized a residence on Lenoir Avenue," Roth said. "In addition, you recovered the stolen jewelry which was subsequently returned to the owner."
Roth called Sunnerville's actions heroic and a credit to his character. He said Sunnerville's family and friends should be very proud as he has "made the Freehold community very proud as well."
Roth later referred to Sunnerville as a "hometown hero who put his personal well-being aside and acted in an extremely selfless manner."
The police chief said although he would not recommend that nonprofessionals go looking for danger, "it is comforting to know there are certain people out there who care enough for their fellow man or woman to assist them in their time of need or crisis. Actually, Mr. Sunnerville is just the type of gentleman we need to start a crime watch program."
According to police, a resident of Lenoir Avenue came home at about 5:30 p.m. May 1 and encountered an intruder in her home.
The woman attended the June 2 council meeting and described for the News Transcript the surprise she experienced upon arriving home and hearing noises. She said she initially thought her mother might be upstairs, and was shocked to find a person she did not know coming down the stairs.
At that point she ran out of the house, fearful for her safety. The burglar ran right behind her.
That is when Sunnerville entered the picture.
Sunnerville, who lives behind Lenoir Avenue, heard the woman scream for help and began a pursuit of the burglar. He initially chased the suspect on foot. He then got into his truck, followed the suspect to the Stokes Street area and eventually managed to get the suspect to surrender in front of a residence in the Kingsley Square development.
Sunnerville and the suspect then waited for police to arrive. Police apprehended the juvenile.
The woman said that on the day after the incident, she had an alarm system installed in the home she has lived in for 27 years.
"We have never had a problem here," she said.
Calling the ceremony "very emotional," she said she was glad that Sunnerville received a richly deserved honor
"There is nothing I could do to thank him enough for what he did. If not for him, I never would have known who the burglar was," she said.
After the incident, she said, she wrote a letter to Roth and the Borough Council.
Roth said the ceremony was already in the works before the letter even arrived.
In a subsequent conversation, Sunnerville said, "Some people would consider this a heroic act, but it was really just a reaction to someone who was in trouble and needed help. We don't normally think of the ramifications of our actions. In cases like this, we don't think of ourselves, we just try to help."
Sunnerville, who was raised in Asbury Park, works for Utiliquest in Freehold. He said he was glad that things "worked in his favor."
"Yes, I could have gotten hurt, but that was the last thing on my mind. I heard the screaming, realized who it was and went to help," he explained.
Sunnerville said when he finally caught up with the burglar, he told the youth to get on his knees, which the juvenile did, while they waited for police to arrive.
Sunnerville said he was deeply affected by the show of gratitude from Roth, the police department, the council and by the gift of the plaque. He said the ceremony made him "choked up."
Sunnerville summed up his feelings about what he did and how he feels about his community, saying, "This is our town and it will be what we make it."