Home Opinion LETTER: Hamlet officers went above and beyond

LETTER: Hamlet officers went above and beyond

To the editor:

I just experienced one of the most emotional and heartwarming conversations ever. 

Ms. Antoinette Catalano is a disabled female that was traveling home to Tampa Florida, via Amtrak. Ms. Catalano and other passengers became engaged in some verbal disagreement and she was asked to leave the train for reasons unbeknownst to Hamlet Police officers. 

Our department was called and officers Jatique Barnes and Michael Sale responded at or about 12 a.m., May 22, 2019. Upon their arrival and assessment of the situation they realized that they could not leave a lone, disabled female by herself at this hour at a closed train stop. 

The offer was made to take her to a bus stop but Ms. Catalano advised she did not have enough money to purchase a ticket and she would need to wait until morning and speak with family about purchasing a ticket home. Unfortunately, the next train, bus, from this area was 11:15 p.m., May 22, 2019. Fortunately, an unsecure door at the depot was located, so they allowed Ms. Catalano to sit inside the depot with shelter, free from the elements.

Ms. Catalano advised that much to her surprise these officers returned and had purchased a bus ticket for her to Tampa, Florida. These Officers returned shortly thereafter with food for Ms. Catalano and advised her that prior to the end of their shift, they would transport her to the bus station.

These Officers held true to their word and returned to transport her to the bus station just before the end of their shift; Officer Barnes insisted Ms. Catalano take some money to travel with as the trip was in excess of 20 hours. 

Ms. Catalano states that after repeatedly refusing the money, Officer Barnes continually insisted and when she accepted the money she realized she had been given $60 cash, so started to cry and asked them why they were doing this, their response was, “We get paid to protect and serve.”

This is unbelievable and I am so proud of both of these officers. Please understand that I will always let you know when you make mistakes, but I would be remiss and less than a leader if I did not praise you for going above and beyond the call of duty.

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Additionally — Sunday morning May 19, 2019 after an arrest was effected, the arrestee became unresponsive at the detention center and Officer Sale performed CPR on the individual until paramedics arrived.

Please join me in thanking these officers for their stellar representation of the Hamlet Police Department.

 

Chief T.L. McMasters

Hamlet Police Department

 

 



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