Stephen Cummings and other hospital police officers were recognized for their courageous actions in managing life-threatening situations at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. They operate without weapons, relying on their training and physical skills to handle incidents. Cummings recounted a violent encounter with a patient who attacked a nurse, whereas officer Freddie Slayton shared his experience administering Narcan to a woman experiencing an overdose. Chief Vincent Martinos stressed the significance of their courageous work, highlighting that the impact of their actions, such as preventing tragedies, is invaluable and hard to quantify.
In one incident, Stephen Cummings, a police officer at the hospital, says he was left in a bloody brawl after a patient assaulted a nurse. He got very irate, challenged us, and tried to punch us. Well, he punched me in the nose, Cummings said. Blood was everywhere. I didn't know it was my blood.
Because of stories like these, Slayton and Cummings joined 28 others on May 20 inside South Brooklyn Health Hospital, where they were recognized for their contributions to both staff and patients.
Police work's a funny thing. There's no way you can measure how many crimes you prevented; we can only measure what happened.
I was notified by central to go down and check in the bathroom. I went inside and I saw a patient on the floor unresponsive, Slayton recalled. I Narcanned her and we brought her to the ER to save her life.
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