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Two officers faint during ceremony

The officers had been standing erect and at attention for 30 minutes before toppling over during the Tampa Police Department's Memorial Ceremony.

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
Published May 11, 2005

TAMPA - Police Chief Steve Hogue was about to place a wreath in front of the granite memorial honoring his department's fallen officers, when the officer standing to his right went down - face first onto the brick street in front of police headquarters.

A hush fell over the crowd gathered downtown Wednesday morning for the Tampa Police Memorial Ceremony. Hogue and others rushed to Officer Mike Newby's side.

Newby, 46, a recent addition to the Tampa Police Department's honor guard, had been standing erect and at attention for about 30 minutes before toppling over. He came out of his fainting spell as colleagues turned him over and slowly sat him up, loosening his collar and unbuttoning his heavy black uniform shirt.

They put a cloth under his gashed chin to catch the blood and pieces of teeth. Mayor Pam Iorio crouched in front of him, listening as officers asked Newby, Do you know where you are? Are you okay?

Then, as rescue workers brought out a stretcher and the crowd's tension waned, another officer fainted.

Kerry Hesselink, 36, a nine-year veteran, slowly crumpled to the sidewalk where he and other honor guard members had been standing at attention since the start of the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Hesselink and Newby apparently did the one thing honor guard members are told not to do during lengthy public ceremonies. They locked their knees.

"If you lock your knees, it cuts off the blood flow," said Borthland Murray, sergeant in charge of the honor guard.

One of the most common causes of fainting is standing with your knees locked for long periods of time, according to doctors. The medical term is "syncope," and it happens perhaps most commonly to grooms at the altar and soldiers in boot camp.

"If they lock their knees, that's it," said Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee, who attended the memorial ceremony along with his department's color guard. "And I've seen it happen where if one goes down, you can almost always count on another. It's a mental thing."

But Capt. Bob Guidara, who led much of Wednesday's memorial, said it's never happened in his 25-plus years with the Tampa Police Department.

"That was a little unsettling," Guidara told the crowd after Hesselink fainted.

Murray said Hesselink has been on the honor guard for some time, but Wednesday was Newby's first public ceremony.

"He's the new guy," Murray said. "It happens."

Hesselink did not require medical attention, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

Newby was treated at Tampa General Hospital for a broken jaw and two deep cuts - one of them on his chin - that required stitches, McElroy said. He also chipped his front teeth.

"Poor thing," said Maj. Jane Castor. "I feel bad for him. I hope he's okay."

-- Staff writer Kevin Graham contributed to this report.

-- Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at 813 226-3373 or svansickler@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 18:35:03]