The Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM) proudly recognized four Bay City Department of Public Safety members with the 2025 Police Officer of the Year Award during the organization’s annual convention and awards ceremony.
POAM Awards Officers for Heroic Actions in Protecting Children and Community
Officers Jacob Kirsch, Stephen Staron, Scott Selle, and Brandt Cygan, along with Sergeant Matthew Strunk, were honored for their extraordinary bravery and professionalism during a life-threatening incident involving a combative suspect, a one-year-old child, and multiple injured officers.
Officers Rescue Infant from Armed Suspect During Violent Struggle
The incident occurred in the early hours of December 11, 2024, when officers responded to a call regarding a 23-year-old man wanted for violating bond conditions tied to a domestic violence case. The suspect, later identified as Eshawn Langston, was found outside a North Jackson Street residence with his unrestrained infant son in his lap. As officers attempted to take him into custody, Langston used the child as a human shield, violently resisted arrest, and rammed a police cruiser with his vehicle, while his son remained unsecured in the front seat.
Despite a growing and hostile crowd, Officers Cygan, Kirsch, and Selle worked swiftly to de-escalate the situation and remove the child from immediate danger. In a courageous act, Officer Selle reached through the shattered glass of the vehicle and safely removed the infant, handing him off to his mother. As the suspect continued to resist, a struggle ensued. During the arrest, Langston produced an 8-inch folding knife and stabbed Officer Cygan in the thigh and Sergeant Matthew Strunk in the abdomen.
Officers Remain Engaged Despite Injuries
Even after sustaining injuries, both Officer Cygan and Sergeant Strunk remained actively engaged in subduing the suspect. Officer Staron assisted in crowd control and quickly applied a tourniquet to Officer Cygan’s leg. The officers’ tactical response and composure under intense pressure prevented further harm to themselves, the public, and the child, who was safely reunited with his mother and unharmed.
All four officers received formal commendations before a standing-room-only audience at the POAM Annual Convention in Grand Rapids. Their story was one of several honored at the event, which recognizes law enforcement personnel from across Michigan for outstanding acts of heroism and service.