Norwalk Police Commission honors two officers for weapons seizure and child rescue

Chief James Walsh told the commission that the department named two officers March 2026 Officers of the Month for distinct incidents that month. "For March 2026, we actually have two officers of the month due to outstanding police work," the chief said.

Chief Walsh described K9 Officer Constantine Avintakis' March 2 motor-vehicle stop of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Dispatch checks showed the temporary plate on the vehicle was fraudulent, the chief said, and the operator, identified as Frederick Jerome Payne, had a suspended license and two protective orders that barred him from possessing firearms. A loaded 9 mm magazine was found in plain view and a loaded Taurus 9 mm was recovered in the trunk; police records returned the firearm as stolen out of Ohio. Chief Walsh credited Avintakis' attention to training and procedures for leading to the arrest and removal of a stolen firearm from city streets.

Task Force Officer Richard Holmes was cited for his role in a March 13 task-force operation to locate a suspect with an active warrant. The chief said Holmes and officers shifted from a warrant service to a containment and rescue approach after learning two young children were inside the residence. Holmes and partner officers removed the juveniles from the porch and then took the suspect, identified in the report as Malik Williams, into custody without additional use of force.

Commissioners praised both officers during the meeting. Commissioner Ron Paladino said the actions demonstrated the value of training and interagency coordination; other members called the officers' work "heroic" and thanked them for protecting children and the community.

The commission did not take any formal policy votes related to either case during the meeting; the recognitions were presented as part of regular monthly reports.