Pinellas Deputy Awarded Governor's Heroism Medal

TAMPA, FL – A Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy is being honored as a hero for preventing a distraught woman from jumping off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott presented Pinellas Sheriff's Deputy Damon Laney with the Governor’s Medal of Heroism Thursday, Feb. 8, during a meeting of the Governor and Cabinet at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Laney, 37, a five-year veteran of the sheriff’s office currently assigned to the Patrol Operations DUI Unit, was driving to an off-duty work detail on Jan. 2 at about 11:50 p.m. when he noticed a car parked on the top span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The car had its hazard lights on so Laney turned on his emergency lights and pulled behind it to see if he could help. At that moment, the driver, a 50-year-old Tampa woman, began running toward the outside barrier wall of the bridge intending to jump off the bridge.

With no time to leave his car and run after her, Laney pulled his car forward and trapped the woman’s legs between the push bumper of his car and the barrier wall.

As Laney got out of his car, the woman freed herself and proceeded to scale the wall but Laney grabbed her waist just as she started to leap off the bridge and pulled her to safety.

The woman was crying and pleading with Laney to “just let me jump.” Laney took her into protective custody so she could receive a mental evaluation.

The woman later told him that her suicide attempt resulted from being upset over personal issues.

The Governor’s Medal of Heroism recognizes any law enforcement or correctional officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic who has distinguished himself or herself by risking his or her life deliberately above and beyond the call of duty.

The Medal of Heroism is given to those who have engaged in hazardous or perilous activities to preserve the lives of others with the knowledge that such activities might result in great personal harm.

Image via Pinellas County Sheriff's Office

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Deputy Damon Laney's family were on hand to see Laney receive the Governor's Medal of Heroism.