Police Chief Douglas Kish presented Catasauqua Borough Police Officers Donald Stratton and Scott Rothrock with the Combat Cross, a merit award for action taken Feb. 23, 2015, against an armed suspect. The presentation was made at the April 4 meeting of Catasauqua Borough Council.

On the day of the incident, Stratton and Rothrock spotted a Whitehall stabbing suspect driving through Catasauqua on Race Street and gave chase. When the suspect crashed his vehicle in Allentown, the two Catasauqua officers, along with Pennsylvania Trooper Joseph Mitzak, gave chase on foot. In the struggle, the suspect stabbed Rothrock in the shoulder and was then shot and killed by the other officers. The officer is still recovering from his injury. Kish also presented a Wounded in Action Award to Rothrock.

“This is the kind of dedication we have on our police force,” Kish told the council.

Mayor Barbara Schlegel expressed her thanks to the two heroes and added a vote of confidence in the borough’s police force.

“Our police force has a total of 227 years of experience serving the borough and its citizens,” she said.

Borough police officers honored with service awards for their years of service include the following: John Lakits, 40 years; Kevin Smith, 37 years; Elwood Buchman, 20 years; Patrick Best, 17 years; Christopher Wittik and Raymond Anthony, 14 years; John Wiseman, 12 years; Scott Dergham and Arthur Williams, 10 years; Jason Sedgwick, eight years; Wendy Brantley and Christopher Litz, seven years; Stratton, Rothrock and Rebecca Saborsky, five years; and Jenna Dumansky-Potak, two years.

The borough hired two new officers, Lauren Porobenski and Richard Reis, in 2015.

Kish has served the borough for 13 years.

“We want to continue attracting the highest-quality officers to the borough,” Schlegel said. “Our residents deserve it.”