HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3.2 - 1946 Recognition of Outstanding Work by Dublin P
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STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
DATE: April 17, 2018
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM:
Christopher L. Foss, City Manager
SUBJECT:
Recognition of Outstanding Work by Dublin Police and Alameda County
Sheriff's Office Staff
Prepared by: Matt Farruggia, Dublin Police Lieutenant
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Dublin Police Services Officer Tiffany Buschhueter, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Matthew Neill, and retired Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Captain Gary
Schellenberg will be recognized for their outstanding work and efforts in saving a citizen
who attempted to take his own life by jumping from the Fallon Road overpass onto the
busy I-580 freeway.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recognize and commend the members of Dublin Police Servic es and Alameda County
Sheriff’s Office for the outstanding collaborative effort to save the life of a citizen.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None.
DESCRIPTION:
On March 17, 2018, Dublin Police Services (DPS) was dispatched to the report of a
male subject hanging on the outer chain link fence of the Fallon Road freeway
overpass. There were several callers reporting the male subject was attempting to jump
off the freeway overpass onto the eastbound lanes of Interstate I -580. Alameda County
Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Transit Crimes Units (TCU), who were conducting burglary
suppression in the City of Dublin at the time, also heard the same reports .
DPS Officer Tiffany Buschhueter and ACSO Deputy Mathew Neill responded to the
overpass and were on scene just moments ap art, and within a few minutes of the call
being dispatched. When they arrived, they observed a citizen hanging on the outer
chain link fence of the Fallon Road overpass. The citizen was unable to speak clear
English, however Deputy Neill and Officer Buschhuete believed that his intention was to
jump from the overpass to harm himself. Deputy Neill jumped on the concrete overpass
ledge, reached over the fencing to grab the citizen’s left arm, preventing him from falling
40 feet, or more, onto the eastbound freeway lanes of Interstate I-580. Officer
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Buschhueter also jumped on the concrete ledge and was assisting Deputy Neill with
grabbing the citizen’s clothing through the chain link fence.
While holding onto the citizen’s left arm, Deputy Neill and Officer Buschhueter
determined the only way to hold onto the citizen was to handcuff his body to the fence.
Officer Buschhueter accessed her handcuffs and was able to manipulate the pair of
handcuffs to secure the citizen’s left wrist to the chain link fence. With the citizen being
secured to the fence, he was unable to jump to the freeway below. Retired ACSO
Captain Gary Schellenberg assisted Deputy Neill and Officer Buschhueter with this
incident by preventing the citizen from jumping by pulling a part of his clothing through
the chain link fence. The Alameda County Fire Department responded to the overpass,
cut the chain link fence and were able to pull the citizen through the hole in the fence.
The citizen did not suffer any injuries and his life was save d by the quick thinking of
Deputy Neill, Officer Buschhueter and retired Captain Schellenberg. Handcuffing the
citizen to the fence was brilliant, creative and a clear display of ‘thinking on your feet’.
Without their efforts and heroic selfless actions, the citizen could have fallen from the
overpass severely harming himself and putting the motorist below in grave danger.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
None.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.