BUCKHANNON – On a cold Saturday in January, a young man sat on the railing of the Poe Bridge on Marion Street, looking down at the icy waters of the Buckhannon River, contemplating taking his own life.
Patrolman Dylan Major and Sergeant Tom Posey of the Buckhannon Police Department were dispatched to the scene on Jan. 3. What happened next, captured on body camera, would later bring law enforcement officials to tears.
“Heroism comes in many forms,” Buckhannon Police Chief Matt Gregory told city council members March 19 as he prepared to honor the two officers with the department’s Life Saving Award. “It can come through sacrifice and bravery, but it can also come in quiet times — through compassion and commitment. And that’s exactly what occurred in January.”
The officers arrived to find the juvenile sitting on the bridge railing, threatening to jump. They spoke to him calmly, working to de-escalate the crisis.
“After engaging with the juvenile, the officers were able to talk him into getting off the railing of the bridge and coming back with them to take shelter in a warm police cruiser,” Gregory read from the official citation.
Then came a human moment that went beyond training or protocol.
“The officers even hugged him after the juvenile tearfully requested a hug from them, once he was away from the edge of the bridge and safe,” the citation states.
Gregory said the body camera footage tells the full story, though it cannot be shared publicly because it involves a juvenile.
“When the prosecutor’s office saw it, it brought them to tears,” Gregory said. “It’s quite moving to see the compassion that came from these two officers as they took the time to speak to this young man and bring him from the bridge, which ultimately saved his life.”
The Life Saving Award is one of six medals in the Buckhannon Police Department’s award system, presented to officers whose actions directly save a life. Gregory told council the awards are not given lightly.
“These awards are not freely given,” Gregory said. “They are earned through hard work, dedication and commitment.”
A framed display of all six department medals hangs in a prominent location in the front hallway of the police department, where officers see it every day. Gregory said he charges every officer to earn each one before they retire.
“That is a career well spent and a career dedicated to the citizens of our great city of Buckhannon,” Gregory said.
Mayor Robbie Skinner assisted Gregory in presenting the awards to Major and Posey at the March 19 council meeting.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
