Two Pittsburgh police officers have earned honors from the state Fraternal Order of Police for their successful efforts to capture a suspected bank robber who led them on a 20-mile, high-speed pursuit.

John McAleavey Jr., 36, and Meghan Jaeger, 21, await trial in the September 2008 robbery and chase through the city, up and down Route 28 as far as Etna and onto the 31st Street Bridge.

Along the way, the fleeing driver ignored traffic signals and slammed into a police cruiser that had tried to overtake him on Route 28 south. The cruiser, driven by Lt. Timothy O'Connor, flipped onto its roof and skidded into an embankment then rolled again. Though Lt. O'Connor suffered a gash on his arm that required stitches, "he radioed he was OK and continued the pursuit," according to the FOP.

Also awarded was Detective Eric Morton, who saw Lt. O'Connor's vehicle flip over. He watched as the suspect's SUV headed toward Lawrenceville, knowing residents there would be at risk. Detective Morton rammed the suspect's SUV with his pickup truck, causing it to crash into a jersey barrier. He rammed it again, rendering the SUV inoperable.

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