Two Philadelphia police officers mourned after dying on the same day in unrelated, nonviolent circumstances
Officer Lynneice Hill collapsed after a medical emergency while working overtime, and Officer Kevin Whetstone died from complications of a heart attack three weeks earlier, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The Philadelphia Police Department is mourning two officers who died on the same day, Friday, July 15, 2023, in separate and unrelated nonviolent circumstances, according to reporting by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Officer Lynneice Hill, 44, of the 3rd Police District, and Officer Kevin Whetstone, 55, of the 39th Police District, had a combined 39 years of service between them.
Hill collapsed in the parking lot of a T.J. Maxx/HomeGoods store in the 1800 block of South Christopher Columbus Boulevard around 9 p.m. Friday while working an overtime shift, the Inquirer reported. She had last been seen around 5 p.m. laughing with another officer and showing no signs of illness; exiting shoppers found her slumped over in her car shortly before 9 p.m. Bystanders performed CPR and she was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her husband told the Inquirer she had no known health issues, and an autopsy was pending at the time of the report.
Whetstone's death followed a longer decline. He suffered a severe heart attack on June 22 after playing basketball; his wife, Stephanie Whetstone, witnessed what appeared to be a seizure after he came home feeling unwell and collapsed. He had suffered a minor heart attack two years earlier, according to the Inquirer. Doctors fought to save him for two weeks after the June 22 attack, but he suffered severe brain damage and never regained consciousness. He spent his final week on hospice care at home before he died on July 15.
Who they were
Hill, a 24-year veteran known to family as "NeNe," was an ordained minister at Jones Temple Church of God in Christ in Fairmount and was active in the church's youth programs, per the Inquirer. She had two sons and a daughter, three grandchildren, and had been married to her husband, Dennis Smith, also a Philadelphia officer serving in the 14th District, for nearly 10 years — their anniversary would have fallen the following Monday. For more than three years she volunteered with the nonprofit Legacy of Hope, delivering groceries to cancer patients twice a month. "She was so altruistic. She had a family member with cancer, and she worked to make our communities better places to live," Legacy of Hope CEO Michael Rowe told the Inquirer.
Whetstone, a 15-year veteran, was described by his wife as someone who connected instantly with people. "Everybody he talked to, he made a connection with. It was crazy. Everybody loved him," she said. He had three adult children and, with Stephaine, a 3-year-old daughter.
How the department and families responded
At this time, we don't know any additional information as to what happened or why. As you can see behind me, there are a lot of officers here that are not only here in support, but they're here grieving.
That was then-Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, addressing reporters after Hill's death, according to the Inquirer. She added that she "had heard nothing but amazing things about" Hill's dedication and commitment to the department. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby said in separate statements that Hill "served this city for 24 years with humility, distinction and integrity," and that Whetstone "served his community and city with professionalism and integrity" and "was beloved by his fellow officers and colleagues."
Dennis Smith, Hill's husband, told the Inquirer he and Whetstone had known each other through neighboring districts. "We were in neighboring districts. He was a great dude with a great personality. Really funny," Smith said, adding of his wife's death: "I still can't process this. I'm devastated. Just devastated."
What the coincidence signals
The pairing of two nonviolent deaths on the same date was coincidental rather than connected, but it put a spotlight on the toll that sudden medical emergencies and cardiac events take on police officers separately from the violent, line-of-duty incidents that more typically generate headlines and department-wide mourning. The Inquirer's reporting did not detail any funeral or memorial arrangements at the time of publication, noting only that Outlaw had spoken with Hill's husband and met with family members.
US In News compiled this archived account from contemporaneous coverage by the Philadelphia Inquirer. It restores a story originally published on this site in July 2023; figures are as reported at the time.