Life-Saving Efforts, Carjacking Capture Recognized In Horsham

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —It was the Fourth of July.

Horsham Township Police responded to a motorcycle accident on County Line Road where police officer Theodore Hrycyszyn found the motorcyclist on the ground suffering from multiple serious injuries.

Hrycyszyn applied a tourniquet to the patient’s left leg to control his severe bleeding. He also maintained the patient’s airway and calmly communicated with other responding emergency services until they arrived.

"Officer Hrycyszyn exemplified the core values of our organization," Police Chief Scott Frida said in awarding him with a commendation. "His actions upheld the highest standards of professionalism and made a positive impact on the lives of those affected by this unfortunate event. Without Officer Hrycyszyn’s quick and decisive action, the victim would have likely perished because of his injuries and severe bleeding."

Fida recently gave out commendations to numerous police officers at a recent Horsham Township Council meeting for such heroic efforts during the tornado that hit the township in 2021 and for a carjacker who was captured.

In that incident, Sgt. William Shapiro, Corp. Kathleen Ryan, and Police Officers David Breznicky, Anna Kumor, Joseph Kelley, and Andrew Nisbet received commendations.

The police chief said that on May 11, police were advised that the Warminster Police were investigating a report of a carjacking that had occurred in a senior living facility on Norristown Road.

The suspect fled in a stolen vehicle into Horsham Township.

Police officers then received additional information that, in addition to the most recent carjacking, the suspect had also committed numerous other residential burglaries, vehicle thefts, carjackings, and aggravated assaults across at least three other counties.

He was reportedly armed with either a knife or machete.

Officer Kumor and Sgt. Shapiro located the suspect on foot and a pursuit began.

While they pursued the suspect, other Horsham officers arrived to set up a perimeter and joined the search.

Officers searched for over an hour without locating the suspect, who was now believed to be hiding somewhere within the perimeter. A K9 was brought in from a neighboring department, but they, too, were unable to locate the suspect.

Officers knew the suspect was likely still in the area and they continued to be vigilant.

Eventually, Nisbet sighted the suspect again and our officers converged on him a second time. He was eventually located by Officer Kumor hiding in the loft of a backyard shed. After deploying pepper spray and pepper balls, the suspect eventually came down and was taken into custody.

"Our officers exhibited great teamwork and diligence in apprehending a suspect who was later charged with over 35 felonies as a result of his crime spree," the chief said.

(Horsham ChATs)

Horsham Township Police Officer Theodore Hrycyszyn received a commendation recently from Police Chief Scott Fida for his life-saving efforts.