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Capital Area Theodore Roosevelt Police
Award
2007 Honoree: Sergeant Wayne Santmyer
 On December 11, 2007 the Capital Area Chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association honored Sergeant Wayne Santmyer of the Maryland State Police as its 4th Annual Theodore Roosevelt Police Award recipient. The 1 p.m. ceremony was held at the U.S. Navy Memorial & Naval Heritage Center in Washington, DC. Santmyer was selected from a field of nominees from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the Washington, DC region.
Doug Hill, chief meteorologist for the Washington ABC television affiliate (WJLA) served as master of ceremony. A former police officer, Hill spoke passionately about the dedication of law enforcement officers and the need to recognize the sacrifices of both the officers and their families.
Hill read the following citation about the circumstances that lead to Santmyer's nomination and selection for the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award:
On the evening of December 14, 2003 Trooper First Class Wayne Santmyer was struck by a driver under the influence of drugs and alcohol while working a traffic detail for a Washington Redskins game at FedEx field. In the split-second before he was hit, Wayne jumped up to avoid the main impact of the four-wheel drive truck. Even so, he was thrown into the windshield, then catapulted on to the pavement. In the process he experienced a fractured left tibia, collapsed left lung, posterior dislocation of the right shoulder, fractured nose and right eye socket, loss of two teeth and a lip avulsion.Today Wayne remembers little of the accident, except for coming to on the cold and wet pavement. His physicians told him later that his excellent physical condition and ballistic vest were key factors in his survival that day.
Joined at the trauma center by Captain N. W. Dofflemyer, Wayne declared then and there that he would be back and was not leaving the force. Before he got to that point, however, he had to endure numerous surgeries and months of painful rehabilitation. There were serious setbacks, too. After about three months of physical therapy, Wayne hit a plateau. "I wasn't progressing, and it hit home that this was a career-ending situation. It was a daunting feeling to think I might have to do something else that I didn't really want to do, but a reasonable person had to explore other opportunities," he recalled.
The thought of having to leave the force "reaffirmed my desire to be a cop and return to the job. It drove home succinctly that there was nothing else I wanted to do," Wayne explained. It also helped him find the emotional and physical reserves to "double and redouble my efforts. It gave me the extra oomph I needed," he said. Very soon, Wayne went from walking with a cane to being able to run again, not withstanding the titanium rod and screws that are now permanent hardware in his leg.
Six months after the accident, Wayne returned to administrative duties. Within nine months, he was back at full duty and has never slowed down. Promoted to Corporal shortly after he returned, Wayne was promoted again to Sergeant in January 2006. While serving as Commander of a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Wayne volunteered for the Maryland State Police tactical team, which handles civilian and prison disturbances, riots and other events. Wayne also has become a certified Maryland and Federal Police Instructor, teaching commercial vehicle counterterrorism nation-wide through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
His exemplary service, can-do attitude and come-back against great odds is greatly appreciated by his coworkers and superiors. As Captain Dofflemyer puts it, "Everybody around him works at a higher level because of his presence. He's an amazing individual."
TRA Trustee and Capital Area Chapter President, Gena Rollins, joined by Capital Area Chapter member Commander Kevin Brown, USCG, presented the award to Sergeant Santmyer.
Like other sites, the Capital Area Chapter award consists of a ribbon medal and commendation bar for the honored officer’s uniform, a 10-inch bust of TR, and a cash prize of $1,000. Sergeant Santmyer's name also was engraved on a plaque that will be displayed at Maryland State Police headquarters for one year. In addition, historian H. W. Brands dedicated a copy of his book, The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, to Sergeant Santmyer.
The ceremony took place in the President's Room at the U. S. Navy Memorial and Heritage Center in Washington, DC, which has paintings of the seven US Presidents who served in or oversaw the US Navy, TR included. Motorola, a manufacturer of police communications equipment, systems and intelligence data, sponsored the award.
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