A Louisville, Kentucky, police officer is being praised for saving a firefighter who was about to jump from a bridge.
Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Officer Ali Thomas arrived at the scene on Oct. 9 and noticed a man wearing a fire department shirt standing next to the Lincoln Bridge railing, and LMPD Deputy Chief Emily Mr. McKinley said: said at a press conference Thursday.
“I'm a local firefighter. I retired to join my brother in law enforcement. Your family and friends are calling and they're worried about you,” Thomas said. he said in body camera footage shared by police.
Thomas called for the man to climb out and said, “We can't replace you, brother, we can't replace you.”
Body camera footage then shows Thomas and another officer helping him climb over the bridge railing and being comforted by responding officers. (RELATED: 'Thank you for saving me': Body camera video shows police rescuing children less than a minute before fire consumed room)
Officer Ali Thomas of the 1st Division saved a man from jumping off a bridge last week. He's sharing his story today. pic.twitter.com/h92FJcsKVL
— LMPD (@LMPD) October 16, 2024
McKinley believes the connections Thomas made with his fellow firefighters saved the man's life.
“I think two people who had that connection formed a bond and saved this man's life,” she said. “And I think God just put him in that position to do it at the right time.”
Thomas as a firefighter said At WLWT, he participated in rescue operations for people in crisis, and was not on the bridge, but in the water.
“When I was in the fire department, I would fall into the water, so if they jumped out, I would be part of the rescue. But now, as a police officer, I'm on top.” Thomas said after the incident. “So you get to see a different side of them. You get to talk to them and build a bond. I just didn't want anyone to jump.”
“I told him, ‘If you go, I’ll be right behind you.’ Stop it, I’ll get you,” he continued.
According to a report from WLWT, Thomas joined the police department in 2021 after retiring from the Lousiville Fire Department.
