Police officers honoured for bravery after rescuing man in distress in Mississauga
Published June 2, 2023 at 6:16 pm
Warning: This story contains talk of suicide and mental health challenges. Reader discretion is advised. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health issues, you can call Talk Suicide Canada any time at 1-833-456-4566. You can also contact the Dufferin-Peel department of the Canadian Mental Health Association at 905-278-9036 (or 1-888-811-2222)
Three Peel Regional Police officers have been awarded for the bravery they exhibited by scaling a building to prevent a suicide attempt.
Csts. Martin Boreczek, Carl Mullings and Raymond Yousef responded to a domestic disturbance on July 26, 2022. A person in distress texted a picture of themselves atop a tall building under construction. The person who received the picture in turn called police.
The 911 caller did not know which building the man was atop, so the officers had to use their knowledge of the area to find him.
The three responding officers climbed 57 flights of stairs and several ladders to reach the man in distress. Their precarious ascent was captured on their body-worn cameras. Once they reached the roof, the officer tried to talk the man down from the edge of the building.
“Just come back over here,” one shouts from a distance, “we can talk.”
Videos
The winds high above the city and other environmental factors led police to describe the situation as a “very dangerous” call. The officers managed to build a dialogue with the man and coaxed him into sitting down.
The officers inched toward the person and eventually pulled back the barricade the man was in front of to create a path for him to return. One of the officers reached, himself mere feet from the edge, to offer the person a hand back for the ledge.
The man took the offered hand and came back in. With the man safely away from the edge, one of the officers held him while he sobbed.
Once he had calmed down, the officers escorted him back down the building with the aid of safety devices. Back on the ground, one of the officers pledged to come visit the man in the hospital.
“This is not the solution,” the officer said, “We can work this out, alright, brother.”
“The man was connected to wrap-around support services and resources in collaboration with our community and policing partners,” police said.
Peel Police made some of the bodycam video public on Jun 2. All three officers have been awarded the Jack Cover Medal of Heroism for their efforts. The Medal is named after the inventor of the Taser and “honours individuals for de-escalating high-stress, high-risk incidents in an empathetic and compassionate manner.”
“I am incredibly proud of Constables Boreczek, Mullings and Yousef. This recognition of their professionalism and poise in a highly dynamic situation highlights their great work and is a reflection the selfless response by our officers throughout Peel Region every day,” said Chief Nishan Duraiappah.
“Stories like this remind us of the tremendous risks that our frontline officers accept in their commitment to keeping our communities safe. Our officers’ dedication to helping our most vulnerable is making a difference and is rightfully being recognized year-after-year,” he continued.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising*SENSITIVE CONTENT* We are incredibly honoured to present the #AXON 2023 Jack Cover Medal of Heroism to 3 of our officers: Cst. Boreczek, Cst. Mullings and Cst. Yousef. We acknowledge and applaud their extreme bravery and critical decision-making to save a life. pic.twitter.com/K6vroqog2y
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) June 2, 2023