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Two longtime Washington police officers retire

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Lt. Dan Stanek read his first true crime book at 8 years old. That’s when he knew he wanted to be a criminal investigator when he grew up.

“When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be a police officer,” Stanek said at a Washington City Council meeting June 6, just minutes before his retirement was approved. “Almost 29 years after becoming a police officer, it’s time for me to move on.”

Washington police are losing about 50 years of experience with the retirement of two longtime officers this month. Stanek’s last day was Saturday, and Sgt. Michael Sulerud’s last day will be June 25, after 21 years. City council approved both of their retirements at the meeting, after which Stanek and Sulerud – although he wasn’t present- received a standing ovation for their service.

“We can’t thank you enough for the work that you do,” Mayor Scott Putnam said. “You have been a tremendous asset to our police department and you will be missed.”

Both men worked with Chief Robert Wilson back when he was still a patrol officer.

“It’s been an honor working with both of them,” Wilson said. “They served the city well.”

Wilson said the department will use a Civil Service process for promotions to the positions the two men are leaving behind, as well as for hiring two new officers to replace those being promoted.

“You have 50 years of police experience walking out the door at the same time – it will take some time to replace them,” Wilson said. “From the bottom of my heart, they will be missed.”

Stanek started in the police department just three days after he turned 22. His first shift was a really busy night, he said. In 1996, he started in the detective unit, and in 2004, he took over the crime unit. His first homicide was a baby found in a trash can.

“I had two homicides in my first 72 hours,” he said.

Stanek investigated the 2014 shooting death of 10-year-old Ta’Niyah Thomas. She had heard gunshots in her home at 450 W. Chestnut St., and as she ran in fear to her mother’s room, she was shot twice and killed.

Police determined robbery was the motive behind the shooting, and eventually charged four men, Anthian Goehring, 29, Douglas Cochran Jr., 19, Malik Thomas, 21, and Richard White, 19, all of Washington.

Stanek called it a difficult case, due to how young the victim was and other circumstances of the case, but also rewarding to bring the four men to justice.

Sulerud, like Stanek, has been in police work 29 years, the last 21 of them in Washington as a patrol officer. He said that at 16, he witnessed an intense car crash at a Missouri campground where he worked. He helped out at the scene, holding a patient’s head off the ground until emergency services arrived. That’s when he knew he wanted to spend his life helping others.

“I have seen a lot of different things, both good and bad,” he said. “The most satisfying thing is knowing that you’ve helped some people.”

Both men remember last year, when they worked at Washington Health System’s Neighborhood Health Center, after a car crashed through an exterior wall, killing a woman who worked in the building.

Sulerud said that while working the tragic scenes, homicides and disturbing incidents, sometimes they have to try to block out emotions. Stanek said having a “strong family base” and being involved in the positive aspects of the community help them stay balanced when dealing with both highly emotional cases and day-to-day police work.

They said that after a while, “you just know” when it’s time to retire.

“There’s guys here that are completely capable of taking over,” Stanek said.

Stanek, who has three children, ages 19, 13 and 12, plans to stay in the area after retirement.

“I’m thankful to have the career I did,” Stanek said. “It’s what I always wanted to do. It’s been rewarding, frustrating and challenging. I’m going to miss it, and I’m going to miss the guys.”

Sulerud, too, said he would miss “the guys,” the camaraderie and being there for each other.

“It’s basically a family,” he said.

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