MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - The Bal Harbour Police chief is in serious but stable condition after suffering a medical emergency near his home, Monday morning.
According to Bal Harbour Mayor Martin Packer, Bal Harbour Police Chief Mark Overton suffered a medical emergency around 11 a.m. while jogging on Miami Beach.
Miami Beach Police Department officials said Chief Overton is listed in serious but stable condition Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Witnesses said they saw first responders performing chest compressions on the police chief. “He was hooked up with the chest compressions,” Mary Webster said. “I never dreamed I would actually see him, coming in with himself needing help.”
Dozens of police officers arrived at Mount Sinai before noon and cleared the streets as the Miami Beach Fire Rescue ambulance rushed the police chief to the hospital.
Bal Harbour City Manager Jorge Gonzalez said he had just had dinner with the chief Sunday night. “Mark is a very incredible person,” he said. “He is a very, very loved and beloved individual throughout the South Florida community.”
Overton is a very well-known law enforcement figure in South Florida, having served as the Bal Harbour Police chief for over two years after spending 28 years at Hialeah Police Department, and serving as the deputy chief of the Miami Beach Police Department.
In 2014, he told 7News that the police chiefs of South Florida work closely together. “The police departments down here, the chiefs of police, they work very closely together,” Overton said. “We can’t afford anymore to say, ‘Oh, this is yours, this is mine, there’s a border.’ We work together.”
Bal Harbour Police Captain Miguel De La Rosa wished the chief a speedy recovery. “I have the highest respect for him, and he’s a good friend of mine,” he said. “I wish him the best and a speedy recovery, and we’ll watch over the shop while he’s not there for a little while.”
Mount Sinai security personnel have been stationed outside the hospital and have heightened the police presence in the surrounding area.
Bal Harbour officials would not release details about what happened to Overton, but they do expect him to make a full recovery. They said they were especially grateful to Miami Beach first responders, who, they said, likely saved Overton’s life.
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