Warwick, RI – Warwick Officers and Firefighters were called to the Greenwich Avenue Rte. 95 overpass Sunday night at 8 p.m., stopping a 23-year-old woman from jumping into traffic.
“It is with great admiration Colonel Stephen M. McCartney recognizes the life-saving actions performed by members of the Warwick Police and Fire Departments last evening,” a release posted to the Warwick Police Department’s Facebook page stated Monday.
Officer James Michailides, a member of the Department’s Mental Health Crisis Response Team, was the first to arrive. Michailides convinced the woman to allow him to approach close enough to hold her hand through the barrier link fence as other responders arrived, according to the release.
As the woman began to fade out of consciousness, Officer Michailides grasped her other hand as her feet gave way.
Sergeant Thomas Snow, Officers Christopher Lo and Stephen Major quickly grasped articles of the woman’s clothing through the link fence as she attempted to push off onto the below highway.
The officers managed to maintain their collective grip on the woman until Warwick firefighters David Andrews, Private Kyle Connelly, and Private Joseph Levesque reached her with Fire Department apparatus, bringing her to safety.
McCartney wasn’t the only one impressed. More than 100 people commented on the post to congratulate the city’s emergency responders.
“Our policemen and firemen are everyday heroes. Thank God for them,” wrote Catherine Turbitt.
“Commendable work guys, well done. You could teach other police forces about dealing with mental health crisis,” wrote Linda Drummond.
“I listened to the whole thing on my scanner. WPD and dispatchers did a fantastic job!” wrote Martha Clow Yehle.
As of 11 p.m., the post detailing the officers and firefighters life-saving actions had been “liked” by about 1,500 people.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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