Arrests of armed gang members outside the Mall at Wellington Green highlight the record of Wellington’s Top Cop for 2024, while its Top Firefighter is a captain and mother of two who instituted state-of-the-art training for pediatric cardiac arrests.
Meeting Wednesday, June 12, Wellington’s Public Safety Committee voted to honor Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Agent Terence McDonald and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue EMS Capt. Jessica Banks for distinctive service at their respective agencies. The panel chose from two finalists in each category.
The Wellington Village Council is set to recognize the honorees at a meeting Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Top Cop McDonald won praise for his work as a senior agent on what the PBSO calls its “Street Team” in District 8 serving Wellington.
PBSO Sgt. James Benedict nominated McDonald in a memo that recounts, among other things, his performance during the 2022-23 holiday season conducting surveillance at the mall.
Alerting other officers, he observed a suspicious black Kia and conducted a traffic stop on what would later be confirmed as three documented gang members. He noticed the handle of a handgun sticking out of the driver’s pants, and the subject tried to point it at officers before being subdued, officials said.
Two passengers fled, with one being arrested near a mall entrance and the other near Wellington Regional Medical Center. Recovered from the vehicle were three firearms, AR-15 magazines loaded with vest-penetrating ammunition, packaged drugs and more.
More recently, on April 15, McDonald jumped a fence and chased down a suspect in a fatal stabbing through a dark field near 120th Avenue South. The man fled from a van tracked by officers.
“Agent McDonald’s quick reaction and tactical approach took a dangerous killer into custody with no injuries to himself or anyone else,” Benedict wrote.
The nomination memo concluded, “I am grateful to have such an experienced and skilled agent under my command, and I am sure the village feels the same way. For Agent McDonald’s daily actions, I believe he is the Top Cop for the Village of Wellington.”
Another finalist for Top Cop was PBSO Deputy Jeffrey Taschner. He led the Wellington district in traffic enforcement actions with stops on 1,955 vehicles, issuing 2,221 citations in the 12 months ending April 1. He arrested 21 people for driving without a license, 36 for driving with a suspended license, 12 for reckless driving and six for fleeing officers.
Taschner came within inches of being struck by a hostile driver in September 2023, as he talked to another motorist he had stopped near Wellington’s Olympia neighborhood, according to a nominating memo from Sgt. Matthew DeJoy. He later tracked down the driver and took him into custody on charges including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.
DeJoy praised Taschner’s “calm and professional manner” through a series of incidents that resulted in citations and sometimes criminal charges for dangerous drivers.
Top Firefighter Banks brings a wide-ranging set of talents to the village, said a nominating letter from PBCFR District Chief Amanda Vomero.
“Her technical skills as a paramedic and registered nurse as well as a firefighter are exceptional,” Vomero wrote. “She consistently performs at the highest level during both training exercises and real-world emergencies. She is known for her calm demeanor under pressure, which has been crucial in many high-stakes situations.”
Banks has served the department for 18 years. In January, she began work in Battalion 2 as EMS captain on what is known as A Shift and quickly launched training initiatives.
She organized and delivered pediatric cardiac arrest training to all nine stations in Battalion 2, Vomero noted. Banks also mentors new paramedics to “help them develop into skilled and confident first responders,” Vomero explained.
PBCFR Capt. Cliff Mike of the Station 27 B Shift in Wellington emerged as the other finalist for Top Firefighter. He manages his personnel effectively “to accomplish a consistent service to the Wellington community,” according to a nominating memo from Battalion Chief Aaron Pribyl.
