How Village Police Officer John Cioccke went above and beyond the call of duty on a couple’s wedding day

Under ideal circumstances, Michael and Cheryl Irish would have been celebrating their first wedding anniversary in the summer of 2020 renewing their marriage vows in the presence of her family in the Philippines.

But when travel restrictions linked to efforts to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic quashed their dreams of a romantic getaway to the tropical island where they got engaged in 2018, the couple quickly agreed upon a much closer destination.

The first stop on the morning of their first wedding anniversary weekend would be the unlikely setting where they had exchanged vows 12 months earlier: The Ballston Spa Police Station.

“We wanted to personally tell Officer John Cioccke how much we continue to appreciate the manner in which he went above and beyond the call of duty on our wedding day, going so far as to reach out to find someone to officiate at our ceremony after we and our witnesses showed up at the wrong courthouse,” explains Michael. “Officer Cioccke could easily have declined to get involved in our dilemma. Instead he responded to our distress call with such kindness, compassion and good humor that we departed from the village police station as man and wife feeling confident that despite how the day started, we would go on to live happily ever after. Or as one of our guests later quipped: Happily ever LAUGHTER.”

Cheryl fully concurs adding: “We hope sharing the story of how Officer Cioccke came to our aid will remind others in our community how fortunate we are to have law enforcement members who do good deeds that don’t make headlines. The man in blue who saved our wedding day will always have an extra special place in our hearts.”

One need only read on to understand why.

Forget about cops being summoned to capture runaway brides. While such chase scenes may boost movie ratings, most wedding-related phone calls received by police departments involve receptions that have gotten too rowdy or guests who consumed one too many glasses of alcohol before getting behind the wheels of motor vehicles.

Then there was the call intercepted by Ballston Spa Police Officer John Cioccke on Saturday, June 29, 2019.

“It was definitely a first for me,” smiles Officer Cioccke, who has served with distinction as a uniformed member of the village’s law enforcement community since 2005. Waiting for Cioccke outside of the red brick police station and courthouse at 30 Bath Street was a beautiful bride-to-be in an exquisite long white gown and a fashionably buttoned-down groom-to-be.

Suffice to say that if the village police department didn’t have a special “Happily ever LAUGHTER” case file prior to that morning, Cioccke would have been well within his rights to open one before his shift ended.

Indeed Michael and Cheryl Irish insist their recent first anniversary would not have been possible had Officer Cioccke not gone above and beyond the call of duty a year earlier after they and their witnesses wound up at the wrong Saratoga County courthouse.

The story is a long one the couple will wait to tell their grandchildren about someday, but as the occasion of their first anniversary neared in 2020 (SEE Q&A BELOW), they yearned to reunite with the village policeman whose decision to say “I do” when asked to help them made all the difference in the world.

Officer Cioccke went above and beyond the call of duty a second time when he agreed to respond to the following questions from Ballston Spa Living after accepting an invitation to reunite with the couple at the village police station in June 2020.

A: I was not at all surprised by what I saw with respect to the bride and groom. I figured the Judge didn’t know they had arrived and I would simply let everyone wait inside.

Q:  In what way — if at all – did the situation you encountered upon your arrival differ from your expectations?

A: The dynamics of the call changed after we realized the Judge was not expected in the courthouse that day and (thus) there would be nobody on the premises to officiate at the wedding ceremony.

Q: Since you deemed the situation upon your arrival to be “a first” in your career as a long-time uniformed law officer, what factors contributed to the humanitarian decision you ultimately made to graciously invite the bride-to-be and her betrothed as well as the handful of relatives who accompanied them inside where the temperatures were more comfortable while you reached out to another official to further assist the couple in their hour of need?

A: Society tends to see and forget that every officer, deputy, trooper serving their community are themselves human beings with emotions who truly want to serve their community and help people. We are all someone’s child, father, mother, sibling and friend. It is so easy for the public to see only the uniform and tough exterior to forget we’re human beings who want to do the right thing. No one went in law enforcement for the money, schedule and emotional toll. I would say 99.99 per cent of the men and women serving today across this country would do what I did without hesitation to make sure the couple’s wedding day wouldn’t be ruined.

Q:  What would you have done had another official not been available to respond to your appeal for help that morning? What would your next course of action have been?

A: I threw a Hail Mary on the radio asking if anyone could help me, because I had a couple I needed to get married ASAP. I knew my brothers and sisters in blue out there would make something happen to pull it off.

Q:  I’m not sure whether the New York State Police Academy Training Manual contains a section about times when it is okay for an officer to follow his or her heart when presented with unique circumstances, but as per the story that accompanies this interview, the couple whose wedding day was saved by your decision to go above and beyond the call of duty will never ever forget your kindness. How did it feel to reunite with Mr. and Mrs. Irish on the occasion of their first anniversary in June 2020?

A: I teach in the academy and we always instruct the new recruits that they are human and to always treat people how you would want an Officer to treat your family member. Remember as I have stated no one takes this job for money, schedule or fame. It is a passion to help your community. The media often focuses on the negative, but we have a class full of recruits (who started on June 28) who are intent on serving their community even now.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The story about Office John Cioccke is the first in a series of articles honoring men and women in blue who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in our community. If you know of a law officer who has done a good deed, please contact Ballston Spa Living Editor Ann Hauprich at annhauprich4@gmail.

~~ Happily Ever LAUGHTER Photo Gallery ~~