A 10-year police veteran has been awarded the Honolulu Police Department’s third-highest honor for aiding a distraught man on the H-1 freeway earlier this year.

Police Chief Louis Kea-loha presented the Bronze Medal of Valor to Officer Aaron Ostachuk last week at the department’s first-quarter awards ceremony.

In February, Ostachuk, who is assigned to District 5 (Kalihi), was called to investigate a man jumping into the lanes of the freeway. The distraught man tried to strike Ostachuk with a skateboard and push him toward oncoming traffic. Ostachuk was able to detain the man and prevent him from harming anyone, police said.

Other honorees included:

>> Employee of the Quarter — Officer Tyler Henshaw, assigned to District 2 (Wahiawa/North Shore), who joined the police force eight years ago, made 94 arrests for offenses including drunken driving, traffic violations, felony drugs and contempt warrants.

>> Unit of the Quarter — District 8 (Kapolei/Waianae) Crime Reduction Unit, whose successful cases in Leeward Oahu involved an elementary school where multiple laptop computers were taken.

>> Certificate of Merit — Retired Sgt. Carmen Abellira was off duty and at a hotel in January when he heard someone yelling for help. Abellira saw three men fighting in the lobby. He told a hotel employee to call 911. Two suspects ran off, but Abellira and the victim stopped the third suspect. Abellira detained the suspect until officers got to the scene.

>> Certificate of Merit — Sgt. Andre Carreira, Cpl. Rafael Hood and Officer Billy Masaniai helped find a distraught man in District 4 (Windward Oahu). In March the officers found the man’s bicycle at the entrance of a hiking trail and proceeded up the trail. With the help of the police helicopter and several family members, the officers located the individual and escorted him down the trail.

>> Certificate of Merit — Gilbert Lanai saved a child’s life in January. Lanai was parking his vehicle at his home when he saw a woman jump out of a vehicle, frantically yelling and holding a child in her arms. Lanai performed CPR on the child, who began to breathe on her own within minutes.

>> Certificate of Merit — Officer Christopher Morgado saved a man’s life in February. He responded to a call of a distraught man and found the man had a large laceration on his neck. Despite the man’s resistance, Morgado grabbed a towel and applied pressure to the wound.

>> Certificate of Merit — Officers Allie Lorusso and Thomas Iinuma responded to a call of a distraught woman in March. When the officers arrived, they discovered the woman standing on the ledge and holding onto the balcony. Despite the woman’s resistance, the officers kept her from falling and brought her to safety.

>> Civilian Certificate of Merit — Cody Cullen-East and Peter Matsuzaki came to the aid of an elderly male who was being assaulted and robbed in the downtown area in January. Without hesitation, Cullen-East and Matsuzaki chased the suspect and recovered the victim’s bag.

>> Letter of Appreciation — Steven Despain, who witnessed a sedan swerve off the roadway and hit a stroller carrying two infants, injuring them on the North Shore in January. The suspect fled the scene. Despain followed the vehicle and notified police. Officers located the suspect vehicle and determined the driver was under the influence of an intoxicant.

>> Letter of Appreciation — Gabriel Pauu, who called 911 in January to report a suspicious man who was looking into unattended vehicles in a public parking lot. The suspect shattered a passenger window and took items that were inside. The suspect then got into a vehicle driven by another man and fled. Pauu followed the suspects and called 911. Officers pursued the two males, determined the vehicle was stolen and arrested the two men.