Cops Talked Undocumented Worker Out Of Suicide: Sgt. Rich Gonzalez, Others Could Win Lifesaving Award
A Chicago police sergeant and two officers have been nominated for one of the department’s highest honors after their extraordinary actions to save the life of a suicidal undocumented worker.
Officers Frank Zotta and Charlie Bell were on patrol on April 5th in the 13th police district, an area that covers much of Humboldt Park. Rolling past a highway overpass near Augusta Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue, the officers spotted a man clinging to the fence, apparently ready to jump to his death onto the Kennedy Expressway.
"We saw him climbing up there, screaming and crying, we realized right away what he was going to do," Officer Bell told HuffPost Chicago. Bell had seen another suicide jump from the same spot. "We went right up to him, talked to him, tried to keep his mind off jumping."
They radioed for a supervisor, and Sergeant Richard Gonzalez, who was right around the corner, sped to the scene. He spoke to the officers, realized the man was a Spanish speaker, and approached him nervously.
“I’ve been on the job eighteen years, but I’ve never gone through this,” Gonzalez said. “This guy’s six inches away from me, holding onto a fence, ready to jump. His life, the life of anyone possibly driving on the expressway are at risk.
“If I say the wrong thing, this guy’s gonna kill himself. That’s gonna haunt me. I remember I thought, ‘God, give me the right words. Let me say the right thing.’”
Gonzalez approached the man and asked him to come down. The man responded angrily. “He said, all you cops do is take undocumented workers, lock us up, give us a hard time, things like that,” Gonzalez said.
“I told him, I’m a Latino just like you,” Gonzalez said. “He keeps looking at me like I’m full of it. So I get into my phone, I dial a friend of mine who’s Mexican, this guy gets on the phone and we have a three-way conversation.”
There they stayed — the 18-year veteran cop, fresh off a stint in politics (he won 10 percent of the vote in the crowded race for 41st Ward Alderman); the undocumented worker hanging over the interstate; the Mexican immigrant dialed in on speakerphone — for ten minutes, talking. Sgt. Gonzalez’s friend told the man to trust the policeman, and they talked about the potential jumper’s circumstances. He couldn’t find a job, was at the end of his rope, was hoping that his family would get a life insurance payout from his death that might tide them over.
Eventually, the sergeant and his friend on the phone persuaded him. Gonzalez helped him down from the overpass, took him to a hospital, and reunited him with his family.
“After that day, I said to myself, if anything ever happened to me, I know for a fact that I made a difference in one person’s life,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve done what I came to this earth to do.”
Both Bell and Gonzalez mentioned that they had been nominated for the Department's Lifesaving Award following the incident, though the nomination and selection process is lengthy. Chicago Police News Affairs could not immediately confirm nominees or winners of future awards.
For Gonzalez, the incident spoke to a greater need for police to engage with the community they serve and protect.
"People need to know there are Latino police officers who care about them, who genuinely care about them," he said.
"We saw him climbing up there, screaming and crying, we realized right away what he was going to do," Officer Bell told HuffPost Chicago. Bell had seen another suicide jump from the same spot. "We went right up to him, talked to him, tried to keep his mind off jumping."
They radioed for a supervisor, and Sergeant Richard Gonzalez, who was right around the corner, sped to the scene. He spoke to the officers, realized the man was a Spanish speaker, and approached him nervously.
“I’ve been on the job eighteen years, but I’ve never gone through this,” Gonzalez said. “This guy’s six inches away from me, holding onto a fence, ready to jump. His life, the life of anyone possibly driving on the expressway are at risk.
“If I say the wrong thing, this guy’s gonna kill himself. That’s gonna haunt me. I remember I thought, ‘God, give me the right words. Let me say the right thing.’”
Gonzalez approached the man and asked him to come down. The man responded angrily. “He said, all you cops do is take undocumented workers, lock us up, give us a hard time, things like that,” Gonzalez said.
“I told him, I’m a Latino just like you,” Gonzalez said. “He keeps looking at me like I’m full of it. So I get into my phone, I dial a friend of mine who’s Mexican, this guy gets on the phone and we have a three-way conversation.”
There they stayed — the 18-year veteran cop, fresh off a stint in politics (he won 10 percent of the vote in the crowded race for 41st Ward Alderman); the undocumented worker hanging over the interstate; the Mexican immigrant dialed in on speakerphone — for ten minutes, talking. Sgt. Gonzalez’s friend told the man to trust the policeman, and they talked about the potential jumper’s circumstances. He couldn’t find a job, was at the end of his rope, was hoping that his family would get a life insurance payout from his death that might tide them over.
Eventually, the sergeant and his friend on the phone persuaded him. Gonzalez helped him down from the overpass, took him to a hospital, and reunited him with his family.
“After that day, I said to myself, if anything ever happened to me, I know for a fact that I made a difference in one person’s life,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve done what I came to this earth to do.”
Both Bell and Gonzalez mentioned that they had been nominated for the Department's Lifesaving Award following the incident, though the nomination and selection process is lengthy. Chicago Police News Affairs could not immediately confirm nominees or winners of future awards.
For Gonzalez, the incident spoke to a greater need for police to engage with the community they serve and protect.
"People need to know there are Latino police officers who care about them, who genuinely care about them," he said.
He saved a life. Too bad he didn't win the 41 st ward Aldermanic election, he could've saved the 41st ward from what's about to occur, destruction. Great job Sgt. Gonzalez. I hear he is well liked among the police officers in 013th district.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job!!!
ReplyDeleteI believe there are no such things as coincidences. I beleive Gonzalez lost because he was suppose to be there to save that man
ReplyDeleteI thought Gonzalez should have won... He has the degrees, the life experience and the heart. I hope he runs for another office - I would vote for him.
ReplyDeleteGood job, Sargeant Rich. I liked Gonalez during the campaign - did his research and spoke & acted like a professional. I can see where he would be good in a crisis.
ReplyDeleteI think Gonzalez would have made a good alderman. He had a mountain to climb in this election and it didn't help that the cop vote was split between him and mullen.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started receiving pamphlets on Gonzalez's ideas for the 41st ward, I said to myself "finally after all these years we have someone who understands what our ward needs." I was very disappointed that he did not win the race. I was even more disappointed with the two runner ups.
ReplyDeletegood story
ReplyDeleteGood job, Rich
ReplyDelete