‘Extraordinary teamwork’: Officers honored at Metro commendation ceremony

More than 150 people gathered at the Metropolitan Police Department’s headquarters Wednesday as 40 law enforcement personnel were recognized in a commendation ceremony.

“All these cops are going to tell you they’re just doing their job, and I get that, but we also have the opportunity to recognize excellence when we see it,” said Sheriff Kevin McMahill, who delivered the ceremony’s opening and closing remarks. “That’s what today is about.”

Those honored included officers, detectives, sergeants, investigative aides, investigative specialists, senior analysts, Metro attorneys, a captain and an FBI special agent. Two citizens were also acknowledged for assisting officers in stopping a fleeing suspect.

The event that yielded the most honorees was an investigation into what a Metro spokesperson said was the kidnapping of a Las Vegas construction company owner in February 2025.

Larry Gilmore, the victim, who was in attendance Wednesday, had recently learned from the Internal Revenue Service that his accountant had stolen $26 million from the company, according to Jamie Ioos, Metro’s director of public information, who introduced each honoree with a brief overview of the case or incident they were involved in.

“To make the case go away, the accountant’s husband planned an elaborate kidnapping,” Ioos said. “With the help of three accomplices, the husband located the victim on his way to work and staged a minor traffic accident, causing the victim to get out of his car. The victim was beaten, hooded, zip tied and placed in the back of another vehicle. He was then driven at gunpoint into the desert. After convincing the kidnappers he would not pursue the theft charges, the victim was released. Then he called us.”

‘Extraordinary teamwork’

Sgt. Matthew Donaldson, detectives Lisa Alcantara, Tara Brosnahan, Cynthia Hurtado, Kyle Londergan, Benjamin MacDonell and Anthony Propp, now-retired Senior Analyst Malia Gregory, now-retired Investigative Specialist Laura Anderson and assistant general counsel Michael Dickerson were all honored for their work on the case. Their efforts led to the arrest of all of the suspects, the recovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and property and the gathering of evidence used to assist the IRS in the original theft case, Ioos said.

Another investigative effort that was recognized Wednesday was an investigation that Ioos said took place between October 2024 and May 2025 into an alleged investment fraud scheme that bilked investors out of $57 million.

“The suspects persuaded their victims to invest in a series of exotic vehicles and boat purchases based on claims the assets would be sold overseas for massive profit,” Ioos said. “The investigation revealed no such buyers existed, and the suspects used the money for personal gain.”

Capt. Jarvis Dudley, Sgt. Jason Hanshew, Sgt. Taylor Tolliver, detectives Jeremiah Beason, Jackie Orton McCrary, Matthew Pluck, Theodore Snodgrass, senior analyst Colin Haynes, investigative specialist Juanita Chavez-Campos and FBI special agent Zachary Carey were commended for their investigation, which led to the recovery of 26 high-end vehicles, three luxury boats, $5 million in cash and $1.5 million in additional assets, Ioos said.

“It highlights the extraordinary teamwork between LVMPD and our law enforcement partners,” Ioos said.

Lifesaving award

One sergeant and 15 officers — among them officers Demetrio Chavez and Torey DeFauw — also earned a lifesaving award Wednesday, given to those who, quite literally, saved a life while on duty.

According to Ioos, in October 2025, Chavez was stationed in a marked patrol unit when a woman pulled over and opened her car door to get his attention.

The woman, who later said she had just bought lunch at a drive-thru, had both hands around her neck, the universal choking sign. Seeing her face turning red and sensing she could not breathe, Chavez pulled the woman from the car and performed the Heimlich maneuver. After multiple attempts, the food was dislodged.

She later recounted the experience on social media, thanking Chavez for saving her life.

“Right place, right time,” Chavez said. “It was a long day, it was one of the 12-hour shifts that we had. So, it is brutal on us, but it kind of puts you back in check, reality kind of hits you.”

Two months later, Ioos said, DeFauw responded to a call at a residence stating that a baby was very pale and not breathing or responsive.

DeFauw entered the home, and saw the three-week-old infant turning blue. He turned the baby onto his arm and conducted multiple back blows. After a few moments, the infant began to breathe and make noise.

Clark County Fire Department medics who arrived at the scene and took over said that it appeared as if the baby had fluid in his lungs and that the back blows opened his airway.

The infant was taken to University Medical Center and diagnosed with kidney failure. His parents stated they believed DeFauw saved their child’s life.

“(The family) was so grateful,” DeFauw said. “It’s humbling to see the effect we have on people.”