Peel Regional Police Officers honoured with 2023 Axon Jack Cover Medal of Heroism

Peel Regional Police is proud to announce that Constable Martin Boreczek, Constable Raymond Yousef and Constable Carl Mullings have been awarded the 2023 AXON Jack Cover Medal of Heroism. Our Peel Police 11 Division officers edged out nominees from across Canada and the United States for this prestigious first-responders award.

Their well-deserved honour is in recognition of the de-escalation of a high-stress, high-risk incident in an empathetic and compassionate manner. For Peel Regional Police, this is the second year in a row where our officers have been recognized with an international AXON award.

On July 26, 2022, Peel Regional Police officers responded to a call, where the complainant advised that they received a picture of an individual standing on the roof of an unknown high-rise building. The caller did not know the location of the building and the male in crisis.

The responding officers used their knowledge of the area and exceptional land-marking skills to identify the possible location. 

All three officers arrived at the building and proceeded to climb over 50 flights of stairs as they quickly discovered the elevators were not functioning. Once the male was located on the rooftop, Constable Boreczek and Constable Yousef engaged in a continuous, empathetic dialogue to help bring the individual to safety. Constable Mullings maintained a consistent line of communication with dispatch and other responding officers to aid in successfully deescalating the situation.

“I am incredibly proud of Constables Boreczek, Mullings and Yousef. This recognition of their professionalism and poise in a highly dynamic situation highlights their great work and is a reflection the selfless response by our officers throughout Peel Region every day. Stories like this remind us of the tremendous risks that our frontline officers accept in their commitment to keeping our communities safe. Our officers’ dedication to helping our most vulnerable is making a difference and is rightfully being recognized year after year,” said Peel Regional Police, Chief Nishan Duraiappah.

Constables Boreczek, Mullins and Yousef, displayed incredible critical decision-making, intuitive policing and above all, courage and bravery, which resulted in preservation of an individual’s life. We are proud to have such outstanding officers on the frontline every day and are confident that more of these stories will continue to emerge frequently, moving forward.  

“Mental Health and Crisis related calls happen in great frequency in our Region.  Our officers’ ability to professionally and thoughtfully navigate through these difficult situations, with the assistance of our social service and mental health partners, is truly worth recognizing”, said Superintendent David Kennedy.  “I am exceptionally proud of our officers’ empathetic and compassionate response to this critical call for service.  Their steadfast commitment to serving the Region of Peel, and to preserving life, was clearly on display as a result of Peel Regional Police’s recently implemented Body Worn Camera technology. The officers’ ability to problem solve and support a community member in crisis under difficult and life threatening circumstances resulted in the best possible outcome for all.” 

Peel Regional Police is able to recognize this act of heroism due to our Body-Worn Cameras (BWC). We are one of the leading police services in Ontario to embark on this innovation and are proud of our officers for embracing the training and the functionality of BWC.

If you or anyone that you know is struggling with mental health and wellness, please call 1-833-456-4566 or visit www.talksuicide.ca. Additional resources can also be found on our website.