Police this morning gave awards and recognition to seven taxi drivers who participate in the Taxi on Patrol program and helped police hinder criminal activity or aid passengers who were in trouble.
Among them was Paul Cuthvertson, who drives nights for Metro Taxi. Cuthvertson, a former construction superintendent who has driven for 14 months, picked up a mentally ill man who was armed with a butcher knife.
Cuthvertson, who picked him up at his home, told him to leave the knife behind or he wouldn’t permit him into the cab.
The man left the knife, but in the course of a rambling discourse told him “I was hoping you would be a female driver so I could kill you.”
When Cuthvertson, 48, dropped the man off in Federal Heights, the driver called local police and gave them enough information to locate the man. As a result, the man was placed on a mental health hold, said Denver Police Lt. Steve Addison.
“Obviously this guy was up to no good,” Addison said.
The program, which began in Denver about a year ago, is a partnership between police and taxi companies.
Police train drivers to take accurate descriptions of suspects and tell them what to do if they spot criminal activity. Over the past year, the program has expanded to over 20 metro area police departments.
Those who received awards today involved police in Denver, Greenwood Village, Northglenn, Westminster, Federal Heights and Boulder.
Also receiving awards were:
Nick Sisneros, Metro Taxi, who on a run in Greendwood Village, reported a man who was bleeding and told him he had punched out the window of his wife’s car during an argument.
Eddie Johnson, Metro Taxi, whose report to Northglenn police, resulted in Adams County Social Services monitoring a pair of men who were in need of help.
Getnet Mekuria, Yellow Cab, who reported a man’s collapse to 911 in Westminster and stayed with the victim, who was rushed to the hospital.
Neville Moore, Metro Taxi, who ran down a suspect police were chasing in Denver and held him until cops put him in cuffs.
Hugo Firsching, Metro Taxi, who reported to Denver police that a man who left his cab was carrying a gun. The suspect was charged with possession by a previous offender.
Deanna Gallagher, Metro Taxi, who got out of her cab when a dialysis patient she was picking up didn’t come out when she arrived at his home. She went inside and found he had fallen. She called 911 and stood by while paramedics checked him out, then helped him into his wheelchair and drove him to the hospital for his dialysis treatment.
