Superior Police Department Recognizes Outstanding Work from Officers

The department hosted an award ceremony recognizing officer accomplishments in 2018.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- From the devastating day in April when the Husky Oil Refinery went up in flames to dangerous calls involving threatening officers with weapons, the Superior Police Department faced an array of challenges in 2018.

But many of those challenges were met with accomplishments recognized by other officers in the city.

The awards started nearly 15 years ago as a way for friends and family to see the extra work put in, in response to over 25 thousand calls a year.

Letters of commendation, distinguished service and life saving awards were just some of the accolades given to 32 officers recognizing the dangers they faced going above and beyond to help the people of Superior.

“I think the men and women of this department are top notch and they go out daily and try to fulfill our mission which is that the Superior Police Department is sworn to protect, is committed to justice and dedicated to professional service and the awards we saw today are good examples of how we do that on a daily basis,” police chief Nicholas Alexander said.

A recognition only given out a handful of times in Superior’s Police Department was awarded to officer Chris Woolery who revived a Medal of Valor for risking his life  to save a person attempting to jump off the Blatnik Bridge.

Woolery says he is honored to be the officer receiving this award, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

“I don’t really feel any different for doing this. I just happen to be the officer who was in that spot at that time and had the opportunity to help somebody who, in that instance, was having a really bad day,” Woolery said.

Each member working the day of the Husky Refinery explosion will also receive a specially designed pin to wear in honor of their work on one of Superior’s most disastrous days in history.