Reginald L. “Reggie” Burgess Mayor | City of North Charleston, SC
Reginald L. “Reggie” Burgess Mayor | City of North Charleston, SC
On August 15, 2024, five officers were honored with the Lifesaving Award for their actions in June 2024. The officers—Sgt. Abril Washington-Sanders, Pfc. Peter Molina, Pfc. Juan Estrada, Ptl. Jenna Helberg, and Ptl. Nicholas Gonzales—were recognized for their response to a critical incident on June 20.
The officers responded to a call at a hotel on North Arco Lane where a man was threatening to harm himself with a knife and jump from the third floor. Officers Helberg and Gonzales had previously interacted with the individual and were able to re-establish contact through calm engagement and trust-building.
With assistance from Pfc. Estrada and the department’s negotiators, Sgt. Washington-Sanders and Pfc. Molina, they successfully convinced the man to return safely to the hotel room where he was taken into protective custody.
A spokesperson commended the team: "Great job by all! Pictured left to right: Pfc. Molina, Sgt. Washington-Sanders, Ptl. Gonzales, Ptl. Helberg."
Pfc. Estrada was not present in the photograph.
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