Three Sequim men were recently honored by the Sequim Police Department for their efforts in helping save an officer’s life in May.

“It’s incredibly heartwarming and reassuring to our staff that there are people in our community who are willing to put themselves at risk for us,” said Sequim Police Chief Sheri Crain at the Sept. 12 Sequim city council meeting.

She gave Daniel Anselmo, James “Mike” Blouin and Ryan Ross all Citizen Commendation Awards with a framed certificate and medal for their role in helping stop an attack on officer Daniel Martinez during a traffic stop.

Mayor Tom Ferrell read the proclamation at the meeting detailing the situation. Afterward, several police leaders and City of Sequim staff shook the men’s hands.

Martinez had stopped 34-year-old Bret Allen Kenney around 4:31 a.m. May 19 near the intersection of Third Avenue and Washington Street and Kenney tackled him as he walked back to the patrol car, according to court documents.

Anselmo said he heard a disturbance outside his residence across the street and saw an officer involved in a physical struggle, the proclamation states, so he called 9-1-1 and rushed to Martinez.

“When I saw him on the ground, I assumed the worst,” Anselmo said in an interview.

“I heard two gunshots (from the struggle), and called 9-1-1. I saw a gray figure on top of a dark figure and Martinez was asking for help.”

Blouin said he was on his way into work at Thomas Builders and running a little late when he heard a gunshot and ran to help.

“My body was working before my mind,” Blouin said.

Ross, a recent U.S. Coast Guard career retiree and new City of Sequim employee, happened to be driving by when he saw the scene, he said. He heard Blouin call for help to hold Kenney until Clallam County Sheriff deputies (Bill Cortani and Jeff Pickrell) arrived, according to the proclamation.

“I thought, ‘What the hell is happening at 4:30 in the morning?’” Ross said in an interview.

Commended

Ferrell read the proclamation, saying, “these three citizens, despite hearing gunfire and having no way of knowing what danger they might be running toward, acted without hesitation to assist an officer who was being assaulted.

“They thereby prevented what could have been a senseless tragedy and helped ensure that a dangerous suspect was unable to flee the scene. Because of their actions that morning, an SPD officer was spared even more serious injury — or worse — and the suspect was apprehended before he could cause further mayhem and risk to the public.”

Both Martinez and Kenney sustained non-life threatening injuries and were treated and released from Port Angeles’ Olympic Medical Center, according to law enforcement agents.

Martinez said in an interview he remains on light duty, and is not allowed to comment on the incident as it remains ongoing.

He said he has not met all of the men but hopes to in the near future, he said.

“We’re so thankful for all three of you,” Crain said at the Sept. 12 meeting.

For the ceremony, Blouin was joined by his wife Cyn Hutchinson, and Ross by his wife Kate and their children Patrick and Jack.

Ross’ sons were very surprised to learn about the circumstances of their dad helping Martinez, they said in an interview.

“He was in the right place at the right time,” Patrick said.

Ross’ wife Kate said she wasn’t surprised by her husband helping as he “always jumps to help people with car trouble (and in other situations).”

Ross told Anselmo and Blouin he admired them for jumping right in to help.

“It was small odds for that many people to be there at that time of the morning,” Anselmo said.

Investigation

Because gunshots were fired, Sequim Police Department has not been involved in the assault investigation due to state guidelines, so the Kitsap Critical Incident Response Team (KCIRT), a multi-agency task force of 10 law enforcement agencies in Kitsap, Mason and Clallam counties, has led it and a connected murder charge.

Kenney, charged with attempted second-degree murder of Martinez, is also charged with first degree premeditated murder of his mother Teri Ward, 53.

She was found stabbed in her Sequim area home after a welfare check on May 19, according to court documents.

He’s awaiting admission into Western State Hospital in December for his competency to be restored in order to tentatively stand trial for the charges.

City Of Sequim Proclamation Awarding Sequim Police Department Citizen Commendations To Daniel Anselmo, James Blouin, And Ryan Ross

“On May 19, 2022, in the early morning hours in downtown Sequim, Washington, Daniel Anselmo heard a disturbance outside his residence. Observing that a Sequim Police Department officer was involved in a pitched physical struggle with another person and appeared to be in distress and possibly injured, Mr. Anselmo called 911 then rushed to the officer’s aid.

Nearby, James Blouin had just arrived at his job site. He heard the disturbance, including a gunshot, and he too immediately ran to assist Mr. Anselmo and the officer who was being assaulted.

Ryan Ross, approaching the area at the beginning of his workday, heard Mr. Blouin call out to him and raced over to help control and hold the person who had attacked the officer until a Clallam County Deputy arrived and was finally able to take the suspect into custody.

These three citizens, despite hearing gunfire and having no way of knowing what danger they might be running toward, acted without hesitation to assist an officer who was being assaulted. They thereby prevented what could have been a senseless tragedy and helped ensure that a dangerous suspect was unable to flee the scene. Because of their actions that morning, an SPD officer was spared even more serious injury — or worse — and the suspect was apprehended before he could cause further mayhem and risk to the public.

It is with great thanks and admiration from all of us at the SPD that on this day Daniel Anselmo, James Blouin, and Ryan Ross are being awarded the Sequim Police Department’s Citizen Commendation Award for the courage and selflessness they demonstrated on the morning of May 19, 2022.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEQUIM, WASHINGTON, does hereby award Daniel Anselmo, James Blouin, and Ryan Ross with Sequim Police Department Citizen Commendations for their courageous acts in service of the community. PROCLAIMED AND PRESENTED by the Mayor of the City of Sequim this 12th day of September, 2022.

Matthew Nash/Sequim Gazette Sequim Police sergeants Jeff Thaxton and Dave Campbell, and other officers and City of Sequim staff thank three men, James “Mike” Blouin, in front left, Daniel Anselmo, and Ryan Ross, for helping save officer Daniel Martinez in May when he was attacked during a traffic stop.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim Police chief Sheri Crain tells, from front left, Ryan Ross, Daniel Anselmo, and James “Mike” Blouin on Sept. 12 that “It’s incredibly heartwarming and reassuring to our staff that there are people in our community who are willing to put themselves at risk for us” after they helped an officer when he was attacked during a traffic stop in May.