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Life Saving Incident

March 22,2015
California Highway Patrol
San Joaquin County
Stockton

At about 6:30 p.m. March 22, 2015, Officer Eliseo Alatorre responded to a suspicious circumstance on the Fremont overcrossing near Highway 99. Upon arrival, he contacted a woman clinging to the chain link fence on the outer side of the over crossing above the southbound lanes of the freeway. The woman was leaning forward with her arms behind her and her feet over the side of the ledge. She told Officer Alatorre that she wanted to die because she was all alone and was going to jump off the overcrossing into the path of an oncoming big rig. Officer Alatorre calmly spoke with her, and in a few moments walked her about 25 feet along the narrow ledge of the overpass to safety. A native of Galt, Officer Alatorre began his career with the California Highway Patrol in its Hayward branch in 2008. He transferred to Stockton in 2010. This was his first interaction with a suicidal person in his nine years as an officer. “I do remember as I was speaking to her and trying to get her to the sidewalk that I hoped she wouldn’t decide to not listen to me and jump,” he said, adding he had to hold on to her shirt through the chain link fence as she made her way to safety. When the woman reached the sidewalk, she walked directly into Officer Alatorre’s arms. Assistant CHP chief Jonnie Fenner said officers put on their uniform every day to protect the community, but they never know what kinds of incidents they are going to face. “We take time to acknowledge the hard work and heroic efforts of community folks, be it officers or citizens,” she said. “It takes a collective effort by all of us to keep our community safe.”

The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.