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Weslaco honors Officer David Hernandez for quick stroke response
Summary
Weslaco commissioners recognized Officer David Hernandez after he transported a patient showing stroke symptoms to the emergency department; hospital staff and a congressional office placed the event in the congressional record and praised his swift action.
Mayor Gonzales and the Weslaco City Commission formally recognized Officer David Hernandez on Dec. 2 for what officials described as a life‑saving response after a patient displayed aphasia and eye deviation during transport on Nov. 2. The recognition included remarks from a congressional staff member noting the incident was entered into the congressional record.
Benjamin Plata Garcia, stroke coordinator at NAP Medical Center, told the commission that the patient was taken directly to the emergency department at Knapp Medical Center, where staff initiated a stroke alert and diagnosed a large‑vessel occlusion. "When symptoms are recognized quickly, outcomes improve dramatically," Plata Garcia said, adding that the officer's quick judgment "gave this patient a fighting chance." The hospital presented Hernandez with a certificate, a challenge coin and a basket in appreciation.
City staff and Weslaco Police Department representatives thanked Hernandez publicly; the mayor invited Hernandez's family and colleagues forward for a photo with the commission. The commission's recognition noted that the transfer and diagnosis occurred within 92 minutes of the event, according to the account read into the record.
No formal action or funding was associated with the recognition. The item concluded with remarks from the police department thanking Hernandez for his service.
