Merced County honors officers of the year

The UC Merced police officer who shot a student to end the freshman’s stabbing rampage in November was among the law enforcement officers honored by peers and supervisors during a ceremony this week.

The Officer of the Year Awards ceremony on Wednesday night praised those chosen from 11 Merced County agencies, including city police departments, area California Highway Patrol offices, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the District Attorney, and the UC Merced Police Department.

UC Merced police Officer Olaf Lopez used deadly force to stop Faisal Mohammad on Nov. 4 after the 18-year-old computer science student stabbed and wounded four people on campus.

“Officer Lopez averted what could have been much more tragic circumstances,” said Albert Vasquez, UC Merced’s police chief.

The officers were honored during a ceremony at the American Legion Hall.

The California Highway Patrol station in Atwater chose to honor Officer Eginardo Mendoza, who said events recognizing law enforcement officers were important because officers in recent years have been cast in a negative light.

The CHP’s Los Banos office recognized Officer Todd Perreira, a Los Banos High graduate, whose experience and knowledge of the county’s West Side has proven an asset to the CHP.

For the Livingston Police Department, Officer Zeus Baldevia earned this year’s top award for his leadership in the Mental Health and Police in Schools (MAPS) program and his work with middle school cadets. Baldevia said if there’s anything he’s learned from his work, it’s the importance of investing in youths.

Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II said Deputy District Attorney Sara Rosenthal, who was honored, prosecuted 21 jury trials in three years with the office.

Pat Lunney, the district attorney’s chief of investigations, recognized Melinda Jones, an investigative assistant. He said the department needs Jones’ expertise to function properly.

Rosenthal and Jones said their work is supported by a solid team in the District Attorney’s Office and the law enforcement agencies it deals with.

Officer Craig McKeeman earned the top award for the Merced Police Department in part for his work in making an arrest in a hit-and-run case, Chief Norm Andrade said.

Merced County sheriff’s Sgt. Dustin Witt presented Deputy Mark Taylor with this year’s Officer of the Year medal. Witt highlighted Taylor’s 22 years with the Sheriff’s Office, working with K-9 officers and seeking out community members to hear their complaints.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Blake, also a Merced councilman, said correctional Officer Brian Rios has earned respect from inmates and other correctional officers for being a “hard-nosed, no-nonsense and fair” correctional officer. Rios also received a medal for his Officer of the Year award.

The Atwater Police Department named Detective Matthew Vierra as its Officer of the Year, and Los Banos honored Officer Richard Mancera. Vierra and Mancera were not at the ceremony Wednesday night.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Merced County honors officers of the year."