Sgt. John Thorme Named Officer of the Month

The Greenwich Police Department has announced that the officer who nabbed an armed robbery suspect last month has been named Officer of the Month for March.

On a quiet Sunday morning in February, the CVS on Greenwich Avenue was robbed at gunpoint. The suspect then fled the store with a large amount of the prescription narcotic, Oxycontin. With information store staff provided during a 911 call, a description of the suspect was  broadcast by police dispatchers.

Sgt. John Thorme, a 16-year veteran of the department, found the gun-toting suspect a short distance away on East Putnam Avenue. Although initially noncompliant, the suspect quickly tossed the weapon aside. Greenwich police officers then made the arrest without incident.

police arrested Dominick F. Glowacki, of 363 Willett Ave., Port Chester, and charged him with first-degree robbery. He entered the CVS at about 10 a.m. and is accused of forcing 924 Oxycontin pills from pharmacists with a Beretta .177 pellet gun, which "bore a strong resemblance to an actual firearm," police said after the incident.

The apprehension of Glowacki, lead to a separate suspect in an unrelated incident. That second suspect was charged for his own gun wielding robbery of the Subway Restaurant at 28 Greenwich Ave. two days earlier on Feb. 11. In that incident the gunman ordered a sandwich before pulling the gun and ordering the clerk to hand over cash. Police arrested Brian C. Steed of 12 W. Putnam Ave. for the Subway robbery.

In a statement, department spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray said, “To some, the police confronting a drug-fueled suspect believed to be armed with a handgun may seem like its all part of the job, however, the potential negative consequences of an armed confrontation cannot be overstated."

Gray added, "When an officer approaches what is potentially the most dangerous of calls, the officer must consciously consider a host of factors that must be weighed, evaluated and acted upon in a split-second. There is always an element of luck and timing. These tense moments often have more than one “acceptable” outcome.  Sgt John Thorme, who is a highly seasoned officer with years of tactical training and a former K-9 handler, acted in a highly disciplined, trained, and composed manner and came up with the best possible outcome: Apprehension, no one hurt.”

Sgt. Thorme is commended for his professionalism and excellence in duty.