By Dan Ring
The Republican
BOSTON — Using the Heimlich maneuver for the first time, State Police Trooper Gene A. Baker saved the life of a choking man in Westfield last March.
State Police Lt. Michael J. Domnarski, of Palmer, said he was just doing his job when he downed a murder suspect in Berlin with a beanbag fired from a shotgun.
Trooper Stephen J. Burgess, of Sunderland, helped to save the life of a pedestrian who suffered serious head wounds when he was hit by a vehicle in Springfield last October.
The three were among 17 state and municipal police officers and a civilian honored on Thursday by the state police at the Statehouse.
Domnarski, 46, received a medal of valor for bravery and courage. Burgess, 42, and Baker, 41, an Adams resident, won medals for saving lives.
Domnarski, a lifelong Palmer resident and commander of a tactical operations team, said the award was bittersweet because a woman was killed during the incident that resulted in his medal.
He shot a murder suspect five times with a beanbag from a shotgun, ending a standoff in a field in Berlin last January.
In the incident, William J. Goddard, of Worcester, who has pleaded innocent to a murder charge, had fled after he shot and killed his former girlfriend, an Auburn mother of five, and injured a co-worker at an auto parts store in Webster.
Police used a helicopter to locate Goddard and help surround him. Goddard was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, and fired a shot at the helicopter.
“I happened to be the right guy with the right equipment in position to take shots,” said Domnarski, a 23-year state police veteran who attended the medal ceremony with his wife and four children. “You just do your job.”
Burgess and troopers Sean C. Barry of Medway and Stephen J. Gregorczyk of Worcester each received a lifesaving medal for reviving a 33-year-old man hit by a car on Oct. 25 last year on Sumner Avenue, Springfield.
The man was suffering from massive head injuries, and was not breathing when the troopers arrived at the scene. Troopers inserted an emergency airway, applied a mask and began rescue breathing for the man.
The victim is currently undergoing rehabilitation therapy.
Burgess said it felt fantastic to win the award.
“It’s definitely an honor to be here and to be recognized at the Statehouse,” he said.
He grew up in Amherst, and received a bachelor of science degree at the University of Massachusetts in 1993.
Baker, who is based in Chicopee, was eating a meal at the Friendly’s outlet in Westfield when an elderly woman jumped up and shouted for help. Her husband was choking and could not breathe.
Baker stood behind the man and wrapped his arms around him. He made a fist with one hand, and basically placed it on the man’s stomach.
He grabbed his fist with his other hand, and began upward thrusts, dislodging food and allowing the man to breathe again.
“It was probably at least 10 good thrusts,” said Baker, who received a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State College in 1989.
He said it was his first medal after 16 years with the state police.
“It’s not about the medal,” Baker said. “I feel fortunate I was able to be there to help him.”
Copyright 2008 The Republican