Waukegan Officer Tackles And Saves 17-Year-Old Trying To Run On Train Tracks
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Waukegan police officer Christopher Harris tackled and saved a 17-year-old girl just before she attempted to take her own life by running in front of a train.
Police received a call from the 17-year-old's sister reporting the alleged suicide attempt, around 1:40 a.m. on Dec 7.
Waukegan officers searched the train crossing in the South Avenue area where police said a "ping" from her cellphone was found.
Just eight minutes later, the officers located the teen just in time.
Police body camera video shows officer Christopher Harris saying, "come here, come here," as the teen runs toward the tracks. Harris then tackles her to the ground, ensuring her safety 20 feet from the train.
Harris is one of the leaders in crisis intervention training at the Waukegan Police Department.
'When I told her to come here, she, I shined my flashlight on her," Harris said. "[She] ignored my command and at the same time she started taking angle towards the track and obviously, like my body camera, that's when I kind of sprinted towards her and tackled her."
Police Chief Wayne Walles said the officer's actions to save the young girl were heroic.
"I am just as proud of our dispatch professionals who utilized their resources to locate the area of where this young woman was, and directed the responding officers to find her," he said.
