South Carolina policeman talks man out of suicide with conversation about Gamecocks
Published:
Here’s a pretty cool story coming out of Columbia.
According to The State, Michael Blackmore, a master patrol officer with the Columbia Police Department, had to think quick on his feet to find some sort of connection with a suicidal man who was threatening to jump off a bridge early last Saturday morning around 3:45 a.m — he needed a reminder that life was worth living.
So Blackmore chose to talk about football.
“I just wanted to get his mind off of what was bothering him,” Blackmore said.
It didn’t take long for Blackmore to find out that the man was a South Carolina Gamecocks and Washington Redskins fan.
“You’re just having a bad night tonight,” Blackmore told him. “But tomorrow night, when you’re sitting around and you’re watching the Gamecocks – or on Sunday when you’re watching the Redskins play or whatever – you’ll look back (like), ‘Man, what was I thinking Friday night?’ You’re just having a bad night.”
The State reports that it only took eight minutes and 30 seconds for Blackmore to talk the man down from the railing.
As the man stepped into the ambulance one EMS worker high-fived Blackmore before closing the vehicle doors. The man was taken to Palmetto Health Richland hospital.
If someone you know has any warning signs of harming themselves we encourage you to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) so that you can find out what resources are available in your area.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
