State Police Lt. Receives Officer of Year Award

The 2002 Officer of the Year Award by The Pennsylvania Masonic Foundation for Children was presented to Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Carl M. Harrison Jr. at the June 24th awards banquet of the Pennsylvania Shield and Square Club on the Patton Campus of the Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown. The award is presented to the officer chosen by his peers as an outstanding example of displaying courage and unselfishness in the performance of his duties in the law enforcement field.

Lieutenant Harrison came upon an auto accident where a van was on fire. He entered this vehicle three times and rescued four women and three small children, ages 3, 2, and 6 months, before the vehicle exploded. Lt. Harrison was treated for burns at a hospital. The lieutenant's willingness to sustain serious injury and even death in the performance of his duty is a tribute to both him and his department. The Foundation was honored to present this award to such a dedicated officer.

Three other police officers received regional awards at the banquet. They were: F.B.I. Agent Michael J. Rekus, Southwest Region; Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael R. Rugh, Central Region; and Philadelphia Police Officer Norman DeFields, Southeast Region.

Bro. William Bergman, Shield and Square President (left); along with Bro. and Col. Paul Evanko, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police and Vice President of the Shield and Square Club (right); and Bro. Raymond Brown, Executive Director of the Foundation (not pictured), made the presentation to Lt. Harrison (center) and to the regional recipients.