Crime & Safety
Officer Stops Teen From Stepping In Front of Train: Police
A video clip from the Waukegan officer's body camera shows the steps the officer took to prevent the girl from killing herself, police said.
A suburban police department used technology and a quick response to save the life of a teen planning to take her own life by stepping in front of a Metra train early Friday. The Waukegan Police Department received a call from the 17-year-old girl’s sister who told authorities of the teen's plan to kill herself. Dispatchers were able to track the teen down by “pinging” her cell phone, according to a post on the Waukegan Police Department Facebook page.
Waukegan officers responded at about 1:40 a.m. on Dec. 7 to the area where the “ping” was showing the teen’s location, which was near South Avenue and the Metra train crossing on Waukegan’s southeast side. When officers arrived, they saw a train heading north on the tracks, approaching South Avenue. With flashlights in hand, and a K9 officer at the scene, officers surveyed the area, looking for the woman. As the train got closer, a female came out from behind a mechanical shed near the tracks, police said.
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A Waukegan police officer yelled, “come here, come here,” but the girl ignored those commands and began to run toward the train tracks. The officer ran toward the girl and tackled her to the ground, preventing her from stepping in front of the train.
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The teen was not injured and was transported to an area hospital for psychological evaluation.
“I am extremely proud of these officers who, through their heroic actions, saved the life of a young woman,” Chief Wayne Walles said. “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.”
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The police department shared a video clip from the body camera of the officer who tackled the teen, which can be viewed below. They also reminded residents who were experiencing suicidal thoughts to call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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