LYNNFIELD — The Select Board recently recognized two sets of first responders for their bravery.
At a recent meeting, the Board first recognized Officer Gianfranco Pisano, Officer Daniel Ashwell, Detective Anthony Hnath, and Capt. Chris DeCarlo for their actions during a December 2024 home invasion.
On Dec. 29, 2024, Lynnfield Police dispatch received a report of a home invasion and hostage situation in progress.
“It was reported that three masked men dressed all in black had entered a home and were holding the occupants hostage,” Police Chief Nick Secatore explained. “One victim was being assaulted and hit with a firearm. Another person at the home was unseen and was the calling party, and it was the thinking of the dispatcher to get that person to safety while still reporting what was going on.”
While on the call with the unseen occupant, that dispatcher was also reporting to the officers responding to the scene about the nature of the crime in progress. Secatore said, “The person reported they had seen the people in the home and had seen the firearm.”
“Pisano, upon exiting his vehicle was first to see the suspects, who were fleeing into the dark wooded line. Without hesitation, he began giving them verbal commands and running toward the wood line in foot pursuit,” Secatore said.
He added that Pisano reacted “so quickly that he had separated himself from his fellow officers.”
Pisano, Ashwell, and Hnath pursued the suspects “over one quarter of a mile through backyards (and) over fences,” Secatore said. He continued, “Then, Officer Pisano closed the distance enough to take one of the suspects into custody.” The gun was also found nearby.
The Chief lauded the “quick response” of his officers and dispatch, which “contributed to ending the ongoing assault and prevented the victims from further harm.” He went on to praise the work of dispatcher Kim Smith for “constantly relaying the information she’s receiving from the person and keeping them — who were at the time hiding on the roof — in safety.”
“These men and women are those that I most admire, not because I get to wear the same uniform as they do, but because they answer the call, and in many cases, you don’t know what you’re going into. In this case, they knew exactly what they were going into, and they did it anyway with pride,” Secatore said. “What they did brought great credit upon themselves, to go above and beyond protecting the citizens of Lynnfield.”
In October, Pisano was awarded the Medal of Valor by Gov. Maura Healey during the 42nd Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery for his role in this incident.
Nominations for that award come from other officers, and the Police Union then selected the awardees. Secatore acknowledged how great an honor it was to be “recognized among their peers,” but he also thought “it was appropriate to bring it back here to the Board to hear exactly what happened in the words of the people who were there.”
Board Chair Phil Crawford brought the officers up to congratulate them, and they were greeted with a round of applause.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for the town, particularly in this incident, and the heroism that you show and your dedication to the protection of the Town of Lynnfield and it’s residents,” Crawford said.
The Board also presented an award to MarketStreet security officer Axel Machado for performing life-saving CPR, despite not having prior CPR training or experience. According to Secatore, that security officer was noted “by the police officers and the firefighters who responded as having done something extraordinary.”
On Aug. 9, a contractor was discovered at MarketStreet lying on the ground after an “un-witnessed medical emergency” by a patron, who called 911. About a minute later, security officer Machado was on scene, and “within 15 seconds of taking the telephone from somebody, who just thrust it upon them, you can hear in the call, and despite not having any formal CPR training, he was guided through CPR by an emergency medical dispatcher and was administering high quality chest compressions.”
Secatore added, “He continued to perform CPR for over 2 minutes, at which time he was relieved by Lynnfield police officers and firefighters.”
The first responders noted that the man, who was suffering an apparent cardiac arrest, “had open unfocused eyes, agonal breathing, with no discernible pulse,” according to Secatore. He was defibrillated, transported via ambulance to the hospital, and survived.
“The man recovered from this event, and there is no doubt that security officer Axel Machado’s swift and decisive action was instrumental in achieving a life saving outcome,” Secatore said. “Axel Machado has similarly brought great credit upon himself and the entire MarketStreet establishment.
“The American Heart Association has said that approximately 16% of cardiac events take place outside of the home, and that immediate attention and CPR can raise survivability two to three times. That’s exactly what happened in this case. A bystander called, the victim was found — in time — and CPR was started. We have had incidents where some folks are unwilling or just cannot bring themselves to assist. This is not the case here. Like I said, within 15 seconds, without training, he acted, saved somebody’s life. Incredible.”
Axel Machado was presented with an award received a round of applause.
