Two quick-thinking Shelby police officers went above the call of duty last week when they saved the life of a man on a bridge who wanted to jump to his death.
On Nov. 10, officers John Guisinger and Sean Nolen received a call about a man sitting on the edge of the Whitney Avenue bridge, authorities said.
When Nolan arrived at the scene, he found the man sitting outside of the bridge's guardrail. The man's feet were dangling over the edge overtop of the CSX railroad tracks below.
Police said Guisinger arrived while Nolan was talking to the man. Guisinger parked his car further down the road and walked up to the officer and the man.
Authorities said that the man indicated he wanted to commit suicide, but using hand gestures, the two officers came up with a plan to prevent the man from falling.
Nolen caused a distraction by telling the man he was going to leave for a moment and call his girlfriend for him, authorities said. Guisinger then grabbed the man and pulled him off of the ledge.
Afterward, the man was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital to get the help he needed, according to police.
Shelby Police Chief M. Lance Combs commended the officers' actions that lead to the man's safe recovery.
"Both officers showed excellent initiative, compassion and bravery in saving the male from serious harm to himself, and their actions are a credit to themselves and the Shelby Police Department," Combs said.
