Suffolk Legislator Kara Hahn today honored three members of the County Police Department’s Canine Section for their quick actions to save the life of a man intent on killing himself earlier this spring.
On the night of April 30th, Sixth Precinct Officers were requested to check on the welfare of a potentially suicidal man in Stony Brook. Responding officers were unable to locate the man and requested the assistance of the Canine Section to locate the missing individual. Upon arrival, Canine Officers Michael Cassidy, Christopher Fezza and Police Canine Thor began tracking the man’s path and found him in a tree with a noose around his neck, ready to end his life.
Sensing time was limited, Officer Fezza quickly climbed the tree using the victim’s ladder, which was still next to the tree, and when the man started to hang himself, he pressed the man against the ladder as Officer Cassidy gave him a knife to cut the rope and lower the man to the ground as additional officers assisted.
Thanks to the calm and collected response of Officers Cassidy, Fezza, Thor and their colleagues within the Sixth Precinct, the man was saved and given an opportunity to work through the issues confronting him after being transported to an area hospital.
