Officer Charles Rezentes received the Honolulu Police Department's third-highest honor for talking an armed, suicidal man into peacefully surrendering in Ewa Beach in December.

Rezentes, not a trained negotiator, talked with the man for five hours while the apartment building was evacuated, police said.

Police Chief Louis Kealoha presented the Bronze Medal of Valor to Rezentes and handed out other awards yesterday to civilians and officers at Tamarind Park.

Civilians awarded certificates of merit:

» Kenneth Abraham-Botelho for recognizing and reporting an attempted murder and sexual assault suspect, leading to the arrest of two people.

» Rory Freitas for chasing and catching a man who stole food from a 7-Eleven store.

Civilians awarded letters of commendation were:

» Chad Okawa for his role in the arrest and conviction of a suspect in two kidnapping and sexual assault cases, resulting in a conviction.

» Chantel Garcia for her help in identifying a suspect in several bank robberies.

» Ron Mariani for stopping a man from committing suicide on the H-2 freeway.

Officer Pete Jones of the Specialized Services Division was recognized as Employee of the Quarter for his outstanding dedication and commitment to the department and division, volunteering for extra assignments, obtaining extra training and continually researching new equipment.

Wahiawa's (District 2) 1st Watch was named Unit of the Quarter for its proactive work, resulting in decreased traffic fatalities, nighttime drinking and drug activity in parks, as well as catching felony suspects from in-progress cases.

Officers awarded certificates of merit:

» Officer Keola Kopa for helping to negotiate the surrender of an armed, suicidal man in Ewa Beach.

» Officers William Ellis, Garrett Hung and Kendall Prochnow for reviving an unconscious man.

» Officers Jayme Logeman and John Morgia for disarming a man threatening to kill himself with a knife.

» Officers Reid Asamura and Justin Higa for preventing a boy from committing suicide.