Officers honored for arrest of murder suspect
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Westborough - The Westborough Board of Selectmen recently honored two Westborough patrol officers who pursued a murder suspect through town and into Southborough before arresting the subject.

"We are all so very proud of you," Chair Sue Abladian said at the board's Dec. 11 meeting.

Westborough officers Jeffrey Johnson and Richard Trainor were following a Buick sedan believed to be part of a hit-and-run accident in Grafton.

After following the car into Southborough, they were informed they were in pursuit of a person wanted in connection with a stabbing that had occurred earlier in the day outside the TGI Friday's at the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury.

The man, Justin Hiser, 30, of Worcester, has been charged with stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Ronda Healey, 28, also of Worcester, to death.

Trainor and Johnson arrested Hiser in Southborough after a pursuit, which Westborough Police Chief Alan Gordon described as a "low-speed chase," ended when one of the tires on Hiser's car fell off .

When the officers were honored, the selectmen's meeting room at Town Hall was filled to capacity, a crowd that included fellow members of the Westborough police force as well as many members of both officers' families.

"This is a once-in-alifetime arrest. Most officers will go their entire career without having anything like this happening," Gordon said. "For officers Johnson and Trainor to be able to put to use the training that they've received over the years and have the situation work out the way it did, well, it's a proud day for the Westborough Police Department."

Johnson and Trainor each received a letter of commendation as well as a meritorious service medallion to be worn on their dress uniforms. After having family members pin their respective medallions onto their dress uniforms, the two officers received a long and loud standing ovation.

"Officers Johnson and Trainor used great restraint, courage and expertise to follow the subject's vehicle," Gordon said. "When the vehicle came to a stop, they were able to apprehend the suspect with no injuries to themselves, to the public or any property."

The selectmen in attendance, Abladian, Leigh Emery and Tim Dodd, were eff usive with their praise of the officers.

"It's comforting to know that we have such brave men protecting our citizens and our town," Emery said. "It's situations like this one that should allow the people of Westborough to sleep better at night."

Dodd agreed.

"To see all the hours that officers have put into studying and training and patrolling put to the test in a very real-life situation such as this, and have it work out so positively is definitely very reassuring," he said.