'I know it just wasn't me, it was God in me': Memphis cop saves suicidal teen father with inspirational message



A Memphis police officer is being heralded as a hero and an angel for stopping a suicidal teen father from jumping off a Tennessee bridge.

Officer Tina Shaw is a 15-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department. Shaw is a member of the MPD's Crisis Intervention Team, and she sprang into action when there was a distressed teen contemplating suicide on the I-40 bridge over the Mississippi River.

"The Spirit just led me to go there to see what was going on there and who all was there," Officer Shaw proclaimed.

Shaw said of the 17-year-old, "I got out, and at this point, he was already over the ledge. He was hanging over the ledge, and then he finally went all the way over. Turned his body facing the water."

"Time was of the essence … we didn't want him to make one wrong move," she explained. "I kept asking him, 'Hey, can I come help you? Can I get you down?'"

The young father was reportedly worried about his job and the pressures of life.

"I said, 'Son, it’s gonna be OK. God gonna get you through this,'" Shaw told the young father. "'It's gonna be OK,' and he was crying, and I shed a few tears."

She consoled the teen. "He was pretty much crying out for help, and I saw it in his eyes, and I was telling him, 'Hey, look, your son needs you. There is no you without him, and there is no him without you.'"

"He was crying, and I saw the fear in his eyes," Shaw added. "I was telling him about me being a mother, I think that's what kind of drove him home."

After about 15 minutes, Officer Shaw convinced the teen to step away from the edge of the bridge.

"He was crying when I helped him get down," the mother of two recalled. "It's like we immediately just hugged each other. A few tears roll down my eyes while his were still flowing. It was like a mother and son, as if he was my third child, my third son."

Shaw said that she received help from above to save the suicidal young man. Shaw professed, "I know it just wasn’t me, it was God in me."

The teen was reunited with his family and taken to a facility for help. She said that she had spoken to the teen's mom and plans to reconnect with her "third son."

The Memphis cop stated, "This is one of the reasons why I'm also a police officer. To help people who are suicidal, mentally ill, whether it's ADHD, suicide, or bipolar schizophrenic situations."

She remarked, "People were saying I'm a superhero, I'm an angel, and I appreciate all that dearly, I really do. Because this is something that I normally do every day that kind of get unnoticed. I'm OK with that because I signed up to be a CIT officer. I just tried to display the transparency of officers versus being a human being."

Shaw pointed out, "In spite all the negativity, there are quite a bit of officers on this department that are great."

When asked about how the photo of her hugging the teen makes her feel, Shaw told WREG-TV, "Joy, joy. It was the best feeling in the world."

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Video: Traffic stop turns into emotional moment for Connecticut trooper and Army vet who needed help



A routine traffic stop on a highway in Connecticut turned into an emotional moment between a state trooper and a U.S. Army veteran who was contemplating suicide.

Trooper Kyle Kaelberer was conducting traffic enforcement on Sunday, September 11, when he saw a vehicle stop and activate its hazard lights on Interstate 84, near the exit 68 off-ramp. Kaelberer stopped to assist the motorist, who identified himself as a U.S. Army veteran. The man was in distress and said he was on the phone with a counselor from the Veterans Administration suicide prevention hotline, Connecticut State Police said.

"We'll help you out, all right bud?" Kaelberer told the veteran, according to body camera footage released by state police. "I’m here with you. I’m here with you, all right?”

Kaelberer said he would call for an ambulance. When the man objected that he could not afford one, the trooper assured him that the state would pay for the expense. He then asked the veteran if he would step out of his vehicle to talk.

“It’s a tough time for everyone in your position, I’m here with you,” Kaelberer said.

The distraught man asked if he could have a hug and Kaelberer embraced him.


The state police said Kaelberer then helped the veteran receive medical care. In a Facebook post, police urged Connecticut residents to call 988 if they or someone they know is contemplating suicide.

“We encourage [people contemplating suicide] to call 988, call 911 if it’s immediate, and we’ll respond,” Sgt. Christine Jeltema told the Hartford Courant. “988 will respond as well to them and get them the help that they need.”

Jeltema said that drivers in distress should activate their hazard lights, like the veteran did, if they need assistance. She said state troopers are trained to assist with motorists who activate their hazard lights, even when off-duty.

Jeltema explained that motorists may stop with their hazard lights on if they need directions or if something is wrong with their vehicle. In this case, a man who needed help got it.

“I just think that the other side of law enforcement is that compassion,” Jeltema said. “We’re trained to deal with people who are in [a] mental health crisis, and it’s something that we as troopers and law enforcement do every day.”

The state police noted that September is Suicide Prevention Month. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline immediately at 800-273-8255. Counselors are also available to chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are not alone. It is not too late to reach out to someone who can help you.

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The threat of suicide or self-harm should be removed from our political discussions entirely. It is inherently flawed, malicious, and self-serving.