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| At the 2011 First Responders Appreciation Breakfast held Friday, September 16, SO Manukas accepts the Outstanding Service Award on behalf of the RPD. Photo courtesy of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce |
Officer Manukas was nominated for the award because of the compassion, patience, and excellent communication skills he displayed on September 21, 2010, when he was dispatched to a call about a subject who was threatening to commit suicide. Numerous officers from all over the city responded to the call and began to secure the scene and evacuate the area. As the first officer to arrive on scene, Officer Manukas immediately located the respondent, who was armed with a shotgun and threatening to take his own life in the presence of two of his family members.
Officer Manukas quickly found out the background information about the situation and began to communicate with the respondent in an attempt to establish a rapport with him, in hopes that he would put down the firearm. Although the respondent was extremely agitated and kept his finger on the trigger of the gun as though he would pull it at any moment, Officer Manukas remained calm and reminded him of the all of the positive aspects of his life. Officer Manukas’ conversation with the respondent lasted for over five hours outdoors on a day when the temperature reached 96 degrees, but he persevered in his efforts until the respondent finally put the gun down and agreed to be transported for mental health evaluation.
After the account of Officer Manukas’ exceptional efforts in this tense situation was announced to the audience at the First Responders Appreciation Breakfast, he was called to the stage to accept the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Service Award on behalf of the RPD.
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