Deputies Use Car Jack, Baton To Rescue Suicidal Man

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Image: Deputy First Class James Maguire Jr. and Deputy First Class Dustin Moon (LCSO)

Two sheriff’s deputies were commended Monday for breaking into a smoke-filled garage to save the life of a Cascades man. The man reportedly had attempted to take his own life.

After saving the man, Deputy First Class Dustin Moon and Deputy First Class James Maguire Jr. were treated at the scene for exposure to carbon monoxide.

“With only seconds to react, DFC Maguire and DFC Moon used the tools available to them and thought outside of the box to help save the life of a man suffering through a behavioral crisis,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said in a statement Monday. “They put their lives at risk and we are proud of their efforts.”

On May 23, Moon and Maguire responded to a home in the Cascades area of Sterling after a caller told dispatchers that a man was sitting in a running car in his garage, attempting to take his own life.

When the officers found the home and garage door locked, Moon used his car’s jack while Maguire used his collapsible baton to pry open the garage door, allowing the fumes being emitted from the car to escape, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Seeing that they could not open the garage door further, Maguire forced open the home’s front door to gain entry.

Inside the garage, he found the man seated in the vehicle and unconscious. He worked to turn off the car’s ignition while Moon helped remove the man from the vehicle.

Both deputies began to feel the effects of the carbon monoxide as they pulled the victim to safety. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he fully recovered and was able to receive further treatment, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Suicide Prevention Resources

Suicide can touch the lives of everyone around the victim - spouses, parents, siblings and friends. For more information on suicide prevention, please check the website of Friends of Loudoun Mental Health.