'His First Instinct Is Always To Help': Northport Local Hero

Michael DeSantis
·2 min read

NORTHPORT, NY — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented and changing times.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these heroes making a difference in their communities. Together with Ring, we're working to let all your neighbors know about these outstanding people and their stories.

This submission comes from someone who preferred to remain anonymous. Kyle St. John, of Northport, was the chosen honoree.

Name:
Kyle St. John

State:
NY

Hometown:
Northport

Hero's Job:
Law enforcement

Relationship to nominee:
Co-worker

Reason for recognition:
"Officer St. John had splotches of motor oil on his clothing and a smear of it across his face. A car had been crushed and flipped right in front of him after a reckless driver ran a red light. Without hesitation he found his way into the car through the sunroof. The driver was trapped within the vehicle, she grabbed his arm tightly and asked him to help her child in the backseat. With a knife he cut through the upside-down car seat carrying the child to safety, then returned to help several more passengers from the wreck. The off-duty officer took charge of the scene until paramedics, police and the fire department arrived because his first instinct is always to help and protect others. Officer Kyle St. John is an army and air force veteran; a former paratrooper in the 82nd airborne division serving tours in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Now a Department of Veterans Affairs police officer, he spends every minute of every day protecting and caring for others. His daily acts of kindness- buying a cup of coffee for a veteran feeling down or watching a young child so a mother can attend her VA appointment- do not go unnoticed at the hospital! So many of us felt lost and discouraged amid the COVID-19 pandemic; as a hospital worker, I know sometimes I did. We can’t prevent bad things from happening, but we can try to remember that there is hope and that there are heroes among us every day. It is my pleasure and privilege support a population of heroes at the Veteran’s hospital. Thank you to Officer St. John and all our service men and women, whose daily bravery and courage are a real inspiration."

Thank you for all you do, Kyle!

>> Do you have a local hero you would like us to know about? Share their story here. Read about other heroes from across New York here.

All photos included in this post are owned by identified third parties who have given Patch the right to use explicitly for the Patch Local Heroes series.

This article originally appeared on the Northport Patch