|
Employee of the Quarter |
 Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts on Wednesday, October 28 recognized Code Enforcement Officer William Erich Ackermann as the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department Employee of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2009.
During a quarterly employee awards ceremony, Metts also presented Ackermann with the Sheriff’s Department Major Case Contribution Award in recognition of Ackermann’s actions on September 19, when Ackermann assisted a fellow deputy in arresting a man who had robbed and carjacked a cab driver. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Advisory Council selected Ackermann to be honored as the Employee of the Quarter.
Metts hired Ackermann, 42, of West Columbia, on June 18, 2007, Metts said.
Ackermann works in the North Region Patrol District, which is based near Irmo.
“As a result of Erich’s attention to detail and his commitment to protect and serve citizens even while off duty, deputies were able to arrest a dangerous criminal without incident,” Metts said. “Erich’s swift actions prevented the victim in this case from suffering more severe injuries and enabled deputies to recover all items that had been stolen from the victim.”
Deputy Kristy Goddard Williams arrested Michael Edward Wolfe, 19, of 116 Villas Court, West Columbia, at 8:40 a.m. on September 19 on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, carjacking, possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and unlawfully carrying a weapon, Metts said. Williams also received the Sheriff’s Department Major Case Contribution Award.
Williams arrested Wolfe after Ackermann, who was off-duty, saw Wolfe driving a Checker Yellow cab erratically on Platt Springs Road near the intersection with Emanuel Church Road, Metts said. Ackermann telephoned 9-1-1 to report Wolfe’s suspicious driving and kept an eye on Wolfe as Wolfe drove the 1996 Ford Crown Victoria cab.
Ackermann reported that Wolfe was swerving on and off the road on Platt Springs Road, and on several occasions, Wolfe nearly collided head-on with other motor vehicles, Metts said. Wolfe drove the cab to a parking lot and parked the vehicle behind a flooring business at 2744 Emanuel Church Road near West Columbia.
Williams arrived on scene at 8:17 a.m. on September 19 and found Wolfe and the cab driver, Gerald Robert Hewson, 54, standing by the driver’s side door of the cab, Metts said. Williams ordered Wolfe and Hewson to place their hands in the air and step away from the cab.
As Williams approached Wolfe and Hewson, Williams saw that Hewson’s shirt and face were bloody, Metts said. Hewson told Williams that Wolfe had left a .40-caliber handgun in the driver’s seat of the cab. Williams handcuffed Wolfe and placed Wolfe in investigative detention.
Hewson told Williams that Wolfe hit him multiple times in the head with the handgun, causing cuts on his head, Metts said. Williams found that Hewson’s left ear was bleeding.
Hewson told Williams that he drove his cab to Arthurdale Drive near West Columbia at about 4:10 a.m. on September 19 and picked up Wolfe as a customer, Metts said. Hewson told Williams that he spent about three hours driving Wolfe to various locations near West Columbia.
|
|
