Fort Worth Bike Patrol Officer Saves A Life
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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - A Fort Worth police officer steps in just in time to save the life of a man who appeared ready to jump off the ledge of a 15-story parking garage.
A bystander recorded the harrowing moments on a cell phone.
"Please don't do it," a person is heard saying, almost trying to will the man teetering on the ledge not to take the plunge.
Joshua Cooper watched nervously from across the street. His 14th floor office near the intersection of Commerce Street and East 6th Street is at eye level with the garage.
"It's sad to see someone at that point of despair, trying to take his own life," said Cooper.
No one was closer than Fort Worth bike patrol officer Nick Guadarrama. He was the first officer to respond, cautiously and desperately trying to save the stranger's life.
"I took off my bicycle helmet," he explains. "I said, 'Hey, I'm Officer Guadarrama. What's your name? Come over here and talk to me,' " he said to the stranger.
"He just looked at me, and then looked over the ledge".
No matter how much the officer attempted to engage the man, Guadarrama says he refused to make verbal contact.
"What we are trained to do is to talk calmly with the individual and delay the situation long enough for our trained negotiators to arrive on scene," explained Sergeant Marc Povero.
Officer Guadarrama says he knew there was no time to spare. The man appeared determined to jump.
"He started crying at one point. He starting shaking and looking over the edge and I knew I had to get over there," the officer said.
He found an opportunity, moved in quickly, got his arm around the man and pulled him to safety.
Back on firm ground, the stranger finally let the officer know his name. He confessed he had been struggling with suicidal thoughts and several attempts since he was a teenager.
"He was in tears, crying. I was telling him, 'I care about you."
Residents like Cooper who saw the situation unfold describe the officer's actions as heroic.
"He's absolutely a hero. It took serious effort to get this guy to listen to him, calm him down and get close enough to actually get his hands on him and grab him," Cooper said.
"I don't consider it [being] a hero. I consider it doing the job because I care about people," the Fort Worth officer insisted.
The man in his late 20s was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
If you or anyone you know needs help, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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