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| Officer turns into an 'angel' |
| By Kris Hill Early in his six-year career, Metro Police officer Darren Martine felt the emotional impact of the tough calls he went on, and he built up a mental wall so he could function. Sometimes he would be distracted by one of those calls when he went to the next one, and he felt that he couldn't focus on the matter at hand, he said. He would have dreams about his more difficult days. He eventually became robotic, he said. Until March 6, he had pushed aside his humanity to do his job. On that day he responded to a suicide. His actions earned him the Angel Award, presented by the Trauma Intervention Program, a group of trained volunteers that responds to tragedies to provide on-scene counseling and follow-up referrals. Martine was the first officer to arrive at the scene. He found a grieving mother at the side of a 19-year-old man who had used a gun to end his life. Martine was struck by the woman's appearance: Her facial features, expressions and mannerisms reminded him of his mother. Unlike other tragedies he had responded to, he wasn't able to build a mental wall high enough to keep the emotion out. "I think that it's a touching, heartbreaking story," he said. When Trauma Intervention Program volunteer Sherry Silvis arrived, she saw that Martine and the mother had bonded already. At that point, other family members had shown up, and the woman and Martine were no longer alone with the body. Silvis decided to let Martine continue what he was doing and help other upset relatives. When she arrived, he was interviewing the mother. During the interview the woman expressed more concern for her family and her son's friends than she did for herself, which impressed him, Martine said. Her worry for others led Martine to make sure she was OK, and he stayed with her and the family long after he had completed his work. "She was dealing with her own pain but she was more worried about others," Martine said. The mother told Silvis that Martine was the nicest cop she had ever met. The incident changed his life, Martine said. He said he feels now that by allowing himself to be human it will be easier to deal with other tragedies. Two weeks ago he learned that he would be honored with the Angel Award. "I never expected to receive any recognition," he said. Silvis and the coroner's office thought he deserved it. Both sent letters to the police department commending Martine for his work. Before Martine received the award -- a plaque that he will hang in his home -- Silvis told the audience Thursday at the awards luncheon at the Orleans hotel what Martine did that day. "Just hearing that gave me goosebumps," Martine said. The 33-year-old remembers thinking that the dead man could have been him or one of his two brothers. Although he has had no specialized training in dealing with suicide, that was one of many thoughts that brought out his natural ability to deal with such a situation, he said. And he thinks that change made him a better cop. |
| ***Printed on November 04, 2000 |
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