Officer Sean Sluganski, Chief Justin McIntire among 12 first responders honored with Keystone Award
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) -- Two fallen police officers and a fallen paramedic from the Pittsburgh area are among a dozen first responders in Pennsylvania who are being honored with the inaugural Keystone Award.
Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire and McKeesport Police Officer Sean Sluganski were both killed in the line of duty in 2023 and are now being honored for their service and sacrifice.
Chief McIntire was shot and killed in an ambush attack from a wanted man he was chasing in Brackenridge. Sluganski was shot and killed while responding to a domestic call.
The Keystone Award is given to first responders who are killed or suffer a career-ending injury in the line of duty. The award was created earlier this year under a bipartisan law signed by Governor Josh Shapiro.
Eight law enforcement officers in total received the award, including McIntire and Sluganski, as well as three Pennsylvania State Police Troopers. All eight officers were killed in the line of duty.
Penn Hills EMS Paramedic Nicholas Theofilis also received the award for his dedicated service. Theofilis died in 2022 after the ambulance he was driving was involved in a crash in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood.
"Every day, thousands of dedicated public servants go to work to protect the good people of Pennsylvania, putting their lives on the line to ensure the safety of our communities. I am honored to award these twelve Pennsylvania heroes with the inaugural Keystone First Responder Awards, recognizing them for their service and sacrifice," said Governor Josh Shapiro.
The full list of recipients is as follows:
- Sergeant Christopher D. Fitzgerald, Temple University Police Department
- Lieutenant William D. Lebo, City of Lebanon Police Department
- Trooper Martin F. Mack, III, Pennsylvania State Police
- Chief Justin McIntire, Brackenridge Police Department
- Sergeant Richard Carrero Mendez, Philadelphia Police Department
- Trooper Jacques F. "Jay" Rougeau, Jr., Pennsylvania State Police
- Trooper Branden Sisca, Pennsylvania State Police
- Officer Sean L. Sluganski, McKeesport Police Department
- Paramedic Nicholas A. Theofilis, Penn Hills EMS
- Assistant Chief Zachary T. A. Paris, Community Fire Company of New Tripoli
- Firefighter Marvin Gruber, Community Fire Company of New Tripoli
- Corrections Officer James Britton, Jr., Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC)