MODESTO, CA - Baby delivery dates are known for not being set in stone and for Trent Kersey and his wife, that statement could not be more true.
On Tuesday, October 31st, about a week earlier than the expected due date of November 6th, Kersey and his wife Victoria welcomed a baby boy named Theo at Memorial Medical Center.
Kersey was set to graduate from San Joaquin Delta College Post Academy the week his son decided to make this debut and get sworn in as a Modesto police officer.
He told Good Morning America, "The day before, we were practicing rehearsals at the academy for our graduation and then [I] came home that afternoon and talked to the wife. And then, next thing you know, we gotta go down to the hospital that night and I had to call the academy staff and my department and let them know I wasn't gonna make it to graduation."
Kersey is now a father of two and he said it felt "bittersweet" to not be able to share the milestone of graduating with his fellow classmates, but that he was "excited" to meet his son and be there for his family.
He said that the academy staff and Modesto police department were all "very, very understanding," but that what happened next was a huge surprise. He recalled, "My sergeant was just checking on me, [making] sure things [were] OK. And then he reached out to me and said, 'Hey, how would you feel about me, the chief and other higher-ups in the department coming by and swearing you in at the hospital?"
Kersey, who also serves his country in the National Guard, said without any hesitation, "That'd be awesome. I'd be honored."
After that, he said that he spoke with his wife and the hospital staff to ensure everyone was on the same page and with that the Modesto Police Department brought the ceremonial swearing-in event right to his wife's hospital room.
Kersey said, "Theo was born and about an hour later, the chief of Modesto PD and my sergeant [and] other higher-ups came by and swore me in."
Frank Inacio, a recruitment sergeant, was one of the Modesto Police Department staffers who witnessed Kersey getting sworn in. This event, as he described, is a "rite of passage" for a police officer.
He said, "He texted me the day before saying, 'Hey my wife's in labor.' So we knew he wasn't going to be at graduation. I also knew that he was the class leader at the time, so ... that's a big, big position to hold. So we knew he was going to miss an opportunity at the academy that most people don't miss. Those are big days in people's careers."
Modesto Chief of Police Brandon Gillespie read the oath of office to Kersey and Inacio presented Kersey's wife with her husband's new police officer badge.
Inacio said that the unusual swearing-in ceremony is an example of how the Modesto Police Department continues to try and emphasize a "family first" approach for their community. He said, "This career overwhelms you. It can suck you in and the biggest thing is letting these new officers know, 'We support you. It's family first.'"
He added, "They're the ones that are going to be there when this career is over. It's important to start that from the beginning."
Now home from the hospital, Kersey said he is "super excited" to one day recount what happened to his two children, one-year-old son Maverick and baby Theo. He said that he hopes his personal story will shine a positive light on people working in law enforcement.
He said, "Law enforcement are people too. We're not just out there doing a job. We're also people and it proves that we care, we actually care about families and what's going on in the community."
On Tuesday, October 31st, about a week earlier than the expected due date of November 6th, Kersey and his wife Victoria welcomed a baby boy named Theo at Memorial Medical Center.
Kersey was set to graduate from San Joaquin Delta College Post Academy the week his son decided to make this debut and get sworn in as a Modesto police officer.
He told Good Morning America, "The day before, we were practicing rehearsals at the academy for our graduation and then [I] came home that afternoon and talked to the wife. And then, next thing you know, we gotta go down to the hospital that night and I had to call the academy staff and my department and let them know I wasn't gonna make it to graduation."
Kersey is now a father of two and he said it felt "bittersweet" to not be able to share the milestone of graduating with his fellow classmates, but that he was "excited" to meet his son and be there for his family.
He said that the academy staff and Modesto police department were all "very, very understanding," but that what happened next was a huge surprise. He recalled, "My sergeant was just checking on me, [making] sure things [were] OK. And then he reached out to me and said, 'Hey, how would you feel about me, the chief and other higher-ups in the department coming by and swearing you in at the hospital?"
Kersey, who also serves his country in the National Guard, said without any hesitation, "That'd be awesome. I'd be honored."
After that, he said that he spoke with his wife and the hospital staff to ensure everyone was on the same page and with that the Modesto Police Department brought the ceremonial swearing-in event right to his wife's hospital room.
Kersey said, "Theo was born and about an hour later, the chief of Modesto PD and my sergeant [and] other higher-ups came by and swore me in."
Frank Inacio, a recruitment sergeant, was one of the Modesto Police Department staffers who witnessed Kersey getting sworn in. This event, as he described, is a "rite of passage" for a police officer.
He said, "He texted me the day before saying, 'Hey my wife's in labor.' So we knew he wasn't going to be at graduation. I also knew that he was the class leader at the time, so ... that's a big, big position to hold. So we knew he was going to miss an opportunity at the academy that most people don't miss. Those are big days in people's careers."
Modesto Chief of Police Brandon Gillespie read the oath of office to Kersey and Inacio presented Kersey's wife with her husband's new police officer badge.
Inacio said that the unusual swearing-in ceremony is an example of how the Modesto Police Department continues to try and emphasize a "family first" approach for their community. He said, "This career overwhelms you. It can suck you in and the biggest thing is letting these new officers know, 'We support you. It's family first.'"
He added, "They're the ones that are going to be there when this career is over. It's important to start that from the beginning."
Now home from the hospital, Kersey said he is "super excited" to one day recount what happened to his two children, one-year-old son Maverick and baby Theo. He said that he hopes his personal story will shine a positive light on people working in law enforcement.
He said, "Law enforcement are people too. We're not just out there doing a job. We're also people and it proves that we care, we actually care about families and what's going on in the community."
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