Lt. Hall back on the job after bizarre eye injury

Lt. Phillip Hall, out of work for three months with a bizarre injury that cost him his left eye, returned to work at the Lancaster Police Department on Monday.
“Walking in the police department Monday morning felt like coming home from a long trip overseas,” said Hall, a 21-year law enforcement veteran. “I got a great welcome from all my co-workers and city residents.”
Hall, 42, oversees police special operations which includes cases involving narcotics, gang activities and criminal investigations.
He joined the LPD in 2000 after serving four years at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s office. Law enforcement is the only job he has ever wanted to do.
“We are very, very grateful to have him back,” said Capt. Scott Grant, interim police chief. “He is truly one of the most dedicated law enforcement officers I have ever met.”
Grant has known and worked with Hall for nearly 20 years and said one of the best moments of his career was calling Hall on the phone last Friday to tell him he had been released medically and could return to work.
“Every day he is out there doing what he can to make Lancaster better for everyone who lives here. It would have been a real tragedy for his career to end because of this injury.”
Three months ago, Hall injured his left eye in a freak off-duty accident. As he was sawing branches from a fallen pine tree on his hunting property, a limb snapped and slapped him in the face. Just before the limb recoiled, a pine needle pierced his left eye. The sap sealed the hole closed, leaving behind what appeared to be a scratch on his cornea with little hint of the damage deep inside.
The accident happened Oct. 15.
Two days later he lost sight in that eye due to a fungus eating away at the inside of his eye. Despite a round of intense antibiotics and four surgeries, doctors were unable to restore his sight.
Hall said the pain was getting worse and just before Christmas, his doctors advised him that the only way to end the pain was to remove the eye.
The surgery was performed Jan. 5. Next month he will see an ocularist for a custom-fitted artificial eye.
During the three months of uncertainty, Hall’s faith in God, his family and the community were strengthened.
While he lost vision in one eye, he gained a deeper view of how much he was loved and supported by a community he has served for two decades.
His church, Camp Creek Baptist, joined with the Lancaster Police Department to hold a barbecue fundraiser. His parents’ church, West End Baptist, hosted a benefit. The Antioch Volunteer Fire Department, where Hall serves as chief, rallied with other county fire departments and collected money to help offset the medical costs.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support they gave us,” Hall said. “It helped a lot with the medical bills.”
Hall and his wife, Alicia, have been married almost 18 years and have two daughters, Jasmine, 16, and Jordan, 13. Hall said his family, parents and in-laws gave them endless encouragement. His work family and the community kept his spirits up, and he tapped into an extended support system through Facebook.
“People from all over were praying for me,” he said. “Co-workers sent uplifting texts.”
Hall said the outpouring of love kept his hopes alive. He turned it over to God and made peace with the uncertainty. He also made good use of his time away from work.
Hall’s wife, Alicia, said she enjoyed the extra family time during his recuperation, especially the uninterrupted family meals.
“We were able to do a lot of things that we missed out on the past 18 years,” she said. “We went to our first Christmas parade as a family.”
She expressed gratitude for the community’s support, as well as from her employer, Nutramax Laboratories, which made it possible for her to help care for her husband.
“If I needed to leave for the day or even a couple hours, they worked with me,” she said.
Alicia Hall said her husband feared not being able to support his family and resume his 21-year career. She said she saw a sadness in him that he hid from others. “He would hold his head down in disappointment,” she said.
During his time away from work, many people reached out to him and thanked him for helping them in the past.
“With answered prayers and faith, he kept moving,” she said. “It’s a true testimony that God answers prayers.”
Besides the larger life lessons, Hall said he learned a valuable lesson about safety glasses. “Always wear them,” he said.

Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152.