Life Saving Incident
December 1, 2020
California
Butte County
Chico
On Dec. 1, 2020, Sergeant Todd Lefkowitz responded to a report from dispatch of a woman leaning over the railing of the Cohasset Road overpass above Highway 99, threatening to jump into oncoming traffic. Chief of Police Matt Madden said Sergeant Lefkowitz arrived on scene, first addressed her verbally, then grabbed her hooded sweatshirt, before the woman attempted to push away from him.
The woman, then dangling from the railing, only holding on by Sergeant Lefkowitz’s grip, was eventually pulled up to safety, uninjured. Chief Madden commended Lefkowitz for his “decisive” action to save the woman’s life.
“From what I saw, it was one of the most harrowing things that I had seen a Chico police officer do,” said Chief Madden, who viewed Sergeant Lefkowitz’s body-worn camera footage after hearing about what happened.
“I watched as he held onto her sweatshirt as she continued to slip, and he made one last-ditch effort to reach down and grab her by the back of her jeans. And with everything he had, he was able to pull her up and over the railing.”
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.
