Two Collier
County Sheriff’s Office deputies stepped up to help a fellow veteran in need
this holiday season.
In recent
days, deputies in the CCSO’s Immokalee District struggled with what to do with
a longtime resident and Vietnam War veteran who suddenly found himself homeless
and was living on the streets. The man was the subject of multiple 911 calls
from the community for incidents ranging from trespassing to accidentally
setting fire to a bus shelter bench.
Deputies
evaluated whether the man was committing a crime that would allow the Sheriff’s
Office to remove him from the streets. They considered that if the man
were to be incarcerated he would likely be released soon and back living on the
streets.
With
compassion and concern, Cpl. Charles Turner and Cpl. Kevin Hendry wanted to
make sure the fellow veteran received the help that he needed. Cpl. Turner is retired
from the Coast Guard, while Cpl. Hendry served in the National Guard, Army and
Marine Corps.
“His
situation was dire,” Cpl. Turner said, noting the man lacked sufficient
clothing for the colder weather. “Something had to be done.”
“He needed a
home; he needed help,” Cpl. Hendry agreed.
Both Cpl.
Turner, an 18-year CCSO veteran, and Cpl. Hendry, a 14-year CCSO veteran, are
graduates of the agency’s Crisis Intervention Training program, which teaches
criminal justice professionals how to address situations involving persons with
mental illness. Utilizing the skills he learned from the course as well as his
community contacts, Cpl. Turner was able to get the man shelter and assistance
through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Cpl. Hendry
helped the man collect his personal belongings and drove him to a Salvation
Army veterans outreach shelter in Fort Myers, where the staff was familiar with
the man from previous contacts.
“Many
of us think about the sacrifices our veterans made for our country one day a
year,” said Lt. Andrew Prisco, who supervises the CCSO substation in Immokalee,
referring to Veterans Day. “Corporals Turner and Hendry have reminded us that
we should think about them much more.”
Sgt. Marcus
Carter of the Immokalee substation echoed Lt. Prisco’s comments.
“These officers made it their priority to service others before self and take care of our military personnel,” Sgt. Carter said.
“These officers made it their priority to service others before self and take care of our military personnel,” Sgt. Carter said.
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| Cpl. Charles Turner |
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| Cpl. Kevin Hendry |
