Thrown Object Knocks Out Santa (City of Spokane firefighter)

Breitbart ^ | December 19, 2007

[Stoat]

Thrown Object Knocks Out Santa

Dec 19 12:31 PM US/Eastern

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A man dressed as Santa Claus was knocked unconscious by a thrown object that hit his face while he was riding on the back of a truck decorated as a sleigh. Kevin Smith says he never saw what hit him Saturday. Whatever it was, it broke his nose and gave him a concussion and two black eyes. "One second I was up there waving to people, and the next minute I wasn't," Smith said. He was taking part in Santa Run, sponsored by the firefighters union, which features off-duty firefighters who dress up as Santa and ride through residential areas handing out candy to children. Other volunteers realized something was wrong after they hadn't heard from Smith for a few minutes. They stopped the truck and found him lying unconscious. "It pretty much cold-cocked him," fire Lt. Scott Himelspach said. Smith awoke in the back of the sleigh. "They thought I'd spilled my hot chocolate, but then they realized it was blood," Smith said. "The rest of the night was kind of hazy." Smith, a firefighter for eight years, said he hoped to return to work on Christmas Day. Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said an assault report was filed with police but that no witnesses have come forward.

[Stoat]

Despite the endless TV and movie portrayals of people being knocked unconscious and of it being a humorous, everyday event with no particular consequences associated with it, the reality of the matter is that being knocked unconscious as a result of a traumatic event such as this has the potential of being extremely serious with lasting neurological effects. The 'news' reports suggest that this is a minimal event but in truth only time will tell.

If you would like to send a kind word including wishes for a speedy and complete recovery for Kevin Smith  to the Spokane Fire Department, you may do so through this email link which will send a message to Assistant Chief Brian Schaffner

Spokane Fire Department - Contact

Thanks to Matt Drudge for linking to this article.

[Ramius]

Good grief. In Spokane? Dang. Maybe in Tacoma or someplace, but not Spokane?

[raybbr]

Good grief. In Spokane? Dang. Maybe in Tacoma or someplace, but not Spokane?

The infection has spread.

[sionnsar]

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.

Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[Stoat]

Good grief. In Spokane? Dang. Maybe in Tacoma or someplace, but not Spokane?

It is indeed awful. Civility is becoming harder and harder to find.

[Stoat]

More on this story from the Spokane Spokesman-Review:

SR.com Grinch knocks Santa out cold

Grinch knocks Santa out cold

Thrown object hits firefighter on truck decorated as sleigh

Meghann M. Cuniff
Staff writer
December 19, 2007

 

Spokane City firefighter Kevin Smith is recuperating at home with a broken nose and two black eyes Tuesday. He was riding on a firetruck in the downtown corridor dressed as Santa Saturday night when he was struck by some object thrown at him, knocking him out and breaking his nose. (JESSE TINSLEY The Spokesman-Review)

 

Kevin Smith can't remember how it happened.

Dressed in a red Santa costume and fake bushy white beard, the 29-year-old Spokane firefighter planned to spend Saturday evening taking part in his union's annual Santa Run by handing candy to children and shouting plenty of ho ho hos.

But his role in the long-standing tradition was cut short by someone who's bound to end up on Santa's naughty list.

Smith suffered a broken nose, two black eyes and a concussion after being struck in the face by an unidentified object while riding in the back of a truck decorated as Santa's sleigh just west of St. Aloysius Church on the Gonzaga University campus.

"One second I was up there waving to people, and the next minute I wasn't," Smith said.

Sponsored by the local firefighters union, the Santa Run sees firefighters spend a few hours on their days off traveling through Spokane neighborhoods on a flatbed truck decorated as Santa's sleigh.

Holiday music plays as Santa spreads cheer through a megaphone and gives candy to children.

No one knows what hit Smith – or who threw it – and no witnesses have come forward. Smith was the only firefighter in the back of the truck when it happened about 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Other volunteers realized something was wrong after they hadn't heard from Santa in a few minutes. They stopped the truck and found Smith unconscious in the back, blood pouring from his face.

"It pretty much cold-cocked him," said Lt. Scott Himelspach.

The firefighters had planned to be out for a couple of hours but cut the night short so Smith could tend to his injuries. Smith awoke in the back of the sleigh to his colleagues asking if he was OK.

"They thought I'd spilled my hot chocolate, but then they realized it was blood," Smith said. "The rest of the night was kind of hazy."

He learned his nose was broken after visiting Deaconess Medical Center.

This isn't the first time the Fire Department's traditional spreading of holiday cheer has been disrupted by flying objects. Firefighters have been pelted with snowballs, bottles and even paintballs, but serious injuries like Smith's are rare, Himelspach said.

The department has filed an assault report with the Spokane Police Department, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said, but, unless someone comes forward, the chances of the case being solved are slim.

"Just like any un-witnessed … crime, it's extremely difficult to connect the crime up with a criminal when you don't have an eyewitness," Schaeffer said.

Smith is taking a couple sick days to recover but hopes to be back for his Christmas Day shift.

A firefighter for eight years, Smith said Saturday's incident won't deter him from participating in the Santa Run next year.

"There are quite a few people that are angry this would happen, but we're pretty happy guys in general. We like making people happy," he said. "It's just unfortunate that this happened."

[Stoat]

Well-wishers may also like to send a get-well and / or Christmas card to Kevin Smith via the Spokane Fire Department.

Here's their address:

Spokane Fire Department, 44 W. Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201

 

[Vicki]

This is horrible? What in the world in wrong with people today?

[Stoat]

This is horrible?

Please forgive my assumption, but I'm guessing that you intended to use an exclamation point rather than a question mark  :-)

Indeed it is, and a sad reminder that not everyone has an appropriate regard for others, as well as for the Sacred nature of Christmas.

What in the world in wrong with people today?

Although at this point there is still no suspect in this matter, one of the things that is wrong with people today is that the ACLU has made it nearly impossible to forcibly commit the mentally ill to State care and protection, and so we have an unknown but large number of schizophrenics, psychotics and other variously violent types walking around freely among us.  They are among and comprise a large percentage of the 'homeless' population who are deified by the Press as Saintly people who are merely down on their luck and in a bad way entirely due to Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Just as moths are drawn to a flame, the mentally deranged and unhinged are frequently drawn to flashy public events where they have the freedom to act out whatever psychosis they might prefer.

In addition, we have elements such as the black-clad Eugene anarchists who took the time out of their busy, productive days to take buses up to the WTO Conference a few years ago and left their indelible mark upon the Pacific Northwest.  I have no doubt that similarly-minded folks would be able to easily justify violence against Santa as "symbolic of Capitalist oppression" or some such silliness.

Furthermore, we have a large and problematic illegal immigrant population who provide a great deal of work for our Police Friends on a daily basis.

All in all, there are all sorts of things wrong with people......

Sorry about my rant  :-)

 

[Vicki]

You’re right I did mean to use the exclamation point. Lots of mean spirited people running around.

[Vicki]

This was just on Greta Van Susteren. Seems the only time Washington State makes the news is over something stupid and embarrassing.

[Stoat]

This was just on Greta Van Susteren. Seems the only time Washington State makes the news is over something stupid and embarrassing.

Thank you for the update.  It is truly sad but not entirely without reason that Washington State has developed the reputation as a home for nutburgers of all stripes.  We've had far more than our fair share of serial killers and serial rapists, and the hard-Left anti-American contingent that's so firmly ensconced here in Seattle and in surrounding areas such as Olympia.  Many people don't appear to be aware that over in Spokane, on the Eastern side of the state, is where the sane and normal folks live, by and large.  Washington State as a whole is now viewed by the nation as we rational Washingtonians might view Capitol Hill or San Francisco.

I've been wistfully looking over eBay real estate listings in Idaho, Montana, Texas and Oklahoma lately.

You know, a Texas FReeper told me once that in the Lone Star State, if a Gent politely holds a door open for a Lady at a public place, he might be rewarded with a "Why thank you sugar!" or a warm smile.

Here I am accustomed to being glared or hissed at, or angrily told "I have arms, you know!"

"sigh"

[hoagy62]

Oh dear Lord, this makes me just sick. I used to be a Spokanite, and to hear of something like this is just...indescribable.

When I was a child, I used to look forward to seeing the Spokane Fire Department’s Santa truck roll through our neighborhood. They’d alway be playing Christmas music over the loudspeakers, and for those few moments when you’d stand out on the lawn (usually covered in snow) and wave at Santa...well, that was just grand.

My great uncle, who retired from the SFD and passed away a few years ago, and a few of my dad’s close fire-fighter friends knew what this means to the kids of the city of Spokane. I’m glad today’s firefighters still continue the tradition.

And, I also hope that someone, who may have seen something, will also understand what this means to Spokane, and tip off the police so some justice can be done.

[Just Lori]

It seems that’s what we have the most of.