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Two years, three tragedies

How the Burke County Sheriff's Office is coping

By Julie N. Chang | The News Herald

Published: January 12, 2008

Morganton, NC - Within the past two years the Burke County Sheriff's Office has been subjected to emotional upheaval.

Almost two years ago Lt. Kelly Kincaid died from a heart attack while fighting a fire. More recently Christy Treadway, a secretary in the jail and wife of former deputy Craig Treadway, passed away from a failed bone marrow transplant, and Detective Martin Lawing was shot in the neck during a standoff.

The Sheriff's Office has had to deal with the ensuing interest surrounding these events by fielding queries from the public, which often overlooks the coping process that the Sheriff's Office must go through.

In a field where officers are expected by the public to be stoic and fearless, the death or wounding of a fellow officer may be detrimental to the mental health of current officers.

Reality of putting on the uniform

Lt. Alex Cobb brings to the forefront the thought on every officer's mind when he goes to work. He said, "We understand the dangers of the job. When we go to work in the morning we know we might not be coming home that night, no one is blind to that reality." Even with this constant reminder, it is not easy to see a fellow deputy hurt.

"We're like a family," said Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt, a fact that is easily felt and seen by the ubiquitous fraternal atmosphere that permeates the office.

And like a family, the officers have banded together creating a support system in which they depend on each other for emotional stability and encouragement.

Beyond the familial ties, the Sheriff's Office also offers counseling services and has a chaplain available for officers and family members of officers.

Sgt. David Bean serves as the chaplain for the office. Bean said that he consoles the families more often than individual officers.

However Bean has noticed that some officers have been discussing the aspects of life and death. Bean emphasized the connection that the office maintains with the families, a connection that does not dissipate through the years.

The Sheriff's Office has regular contact with the Kincaid family according to Bean. Kincaid was a vital part of the office and dedicated to serving the public, he said. In addition to being a sheriff's deputy, he also was a reserve firefighter for the Morganton Department of Public Safety.

The legacy of Kelly Kincaid

In March 2006, while fighting a fire, Kincaid suffered a heart attack and died two days later on March 19 at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

The impact of his death still affects the office and deputy Shane Trull was adamant that Kincaid would never be replaced.

Detective Chris Marsh described Kincaid as, "everything you'd want to be in an officer: professional, ethical and a friend."

Trull added, "He was an officer that we all strived to be."

Christy always had a smile

Most recently the Sheriff's Office lost Christy Treadway, a secretary in the jail, whose husband was a sheriff's deputy for 12 years and is now an officer with the Broughton Police Department. Treadway had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood and bone marrow cancer. After receiving a transplant last November, Treadway's body began to reject the bone marrow, and she passed away Jan. 5.

Treadway fought a valiant battle, confident that she would beat the cancer, backing that confidence up with her upbeat attitude. Detective Donny Dellinger recalled that he had to walk by Treadway everyday on the way to his desk and she was always ready with a smile.

McDevitt said, "She had the best attitude of anybody I'd ever seen."

Marsh reacted strongly to the question of whether or not Treadway's death had as much impact as Kincaid's. Marsh said inside the Sheriff's Office there are no titles and everyone is on a first-name basis.

To Marsh, and to the office they did not lose a secretary, they lost Christy. Both Trull and Dellinger agreed with this unwavering statement.

The solidarity between these three officers is further evidence of the familial bonds that exist within the office.

Officer down

A recent event that further tightened the bond of deputies was the shooting of Detective Martin Lawing.

He is currently at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a hospital that specializes in spinal cord injuries. McDevitt, Marsh, Trull and Dellinger were all present when Dellinger was shot outside of Eva Joyce Nelson's home on Dec. 11.

Trull was actually standing next to Lawing when he was shot. Several SWAT team members instantaneously covered Lawing's body and managed to drag him out of harm's way.

Despite the immediate reaction of disbelief, and the human instinct to run or to shoot back, the first concern of the officers was the safety of the fallen officer.

Dellinger feels the impact of Lawing's wounding on a daily basis as their desks are near each others.

Lawing is more than just a coworker to Dellinger; he is also a friend, and his empty desk serves as a constant reminder that Lawing has been wounded.

Family ties

Marsh, Trull and Dellinger reiterated McDevitt's stance that the Sheriff's Office is a family and as such they have helped each other cope with the tragedies that have befallen the office.

Even though a fellow deputy has been wounded, both McDevitt and Cobb are confident that none of the officers are hesitant to continue their duties.

According to Cobb, the Lawing situation has pulled the officers together to think more deeply about work relationships. Trull adds that these situations also have boosted safety awareness.

Trull concluded by saying, "These are three individuals who exemplify their positions" and the impact of each death or wounding will reverberate for years in the Sheriff's Office."