Round Rock man second to die from injuries in construction blast
A Round Rock man who was hurt in an explosion at a Gatesville hospital Tuesday has died from his injuries, according to Gatesville police.
His is the second death from a blast that authorities say was the results of a construction accident. Fourteen other people were injured; the cause of the explosion has yet to be determined.
Filiberto Morales, 36, was working at a construction site at Coryell Memorial Hospital, north of Fort Hood, when the explosion happened at around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
He was taken to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple and died from his injuries at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, officials said.
Morales was an employee for Network Controls, an electrical contracting firm based in South Carolina, according to police and the company’s website.
Michael Bruggman, 44, also a construction worker at the hospital, died Tuesday.
Several others were reported in critical condition, with second- and third-degree burns, according to Baylor Scott & White officials.
Coryell Hospital CEO David Byrom said the construction crew was working on a hospital expansion project. The hospital remained closed on Friday. No hospital employees or patients were injured in the blast, officials said.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing to investigate the explosion, which Byrom said could have been fueled by gas. more punitive style of policing did not suffer negative effects from tension with the community and performed as trained.
The study’s author, Shefali V. Patil, said more conservative officers believe there should be a divide between themselves and the community, whereas empathetic officers strive for mutual understanding and become frustrated in their efforts when met with public disdain.
In law enforcement, Patil said, officers sometimes clash with members of the public on how they should approach their work, contributing to an environment ripe with conflict and division. When that environment persists, it can lead to burnout, stress, anxiety and uncertainty, Patil told the American-Statesman.
But Heath Grant, assistant professor in the law and political science departments of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said other studies have shown empathy is a force that can counteract stressors such as job fatigue and psychological trauma.
“I get if I care more, I will be bothered by what the community says about me — and for sure that’s got to be true, and I’ve seen that with officers that I’ve talked to and worked with,” Grant said. “But again, we know that empathy — that connection between the officer and the community, actually can help buffer against burnout and secondary trauma.”
Grant said empathy “would also be a buffer against just feeling bad because of the criticism.”
Among Austin police officers, for instance, morale has taken several blows over the past year. Officers last summer found themselves at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning because of CO leaks in their patrol SUVs. Many officers lost stipend pay when a labor agreement with the city fell through. Others faced intense pressure and emotional strain while investigating the Austin bombings in March.
Even with those hits, officers strive to conduct themselves professionally every day and feel supported by the community at large, said Chris Perkins, an Austin officer who works as the negotiation chairman for the Austin Police Association.
“I firmly believe that the relationship between the front-line officer and the community is a lot stronger than sometimes is told,” he said.
Still, Perkins, who has been with the Austin Police Department since 1999, said he doesn’t feel that city leaders understand police work. He said he feels like the job is minimized and scrutiny is higher than it has ever been.
“I do think it’s a bit tough right now,” he said. “I think some of the things that have been said recently about the job that they do is really tough for any police officer to compartmentalize.”
Patil said misunderstanding between police and the community could lead more empathetic officers to leave policing. He urged civic leaders to look into initiatives that make police feel more appreciated and better understood.