Lake Charles Police Corporal DAKOTA BACCIGALOPI (Second from right, holding certificate) (photo courtesy of Lake Charles Police Department/Facebook)
A Lake Charles police corporal is recognized for his work in talking a potentially suicidal man down from the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge. Deputy Chief Larry Moss says on August 13th, they got a call about a man sitting on a bridge truss beyond the safety railing – and that’s when Corporal Dakota Baccigalopi went into action.
“We shut the bridge down, and Officer Baccigalopi spent about 30 minutes seated on the bridge and just talked to him. It was very compassionate, very professional,” Moss said.
Deputy Chief Moss says through Baccigalopi’s efforts, the ordeal came to an end without further incident.
“He did an excellent job of convincing him that it was a potential permanent solution to a temporary problem; and the individual made the decision to cross back over to the safety of the bridge and was escorted to somewhere where he could get some help,” Moss explained.
The crest of the Calcasieu River Bridge is about 150 feet above the water, and Moss says it’s chilling just to look at the footage, let alone actually to be on top of the swaying bridge that high above the water.
“I don’t like heights; I’ve seen photos and snippets of video, and when Officer Baccigalopi gets to the edge of the bridge and looks over, I was done watching at that point,” Moss noted.
Police Chief Shawn Caldwell recognized Corporal Baccigalopi’s heroism by presenting him with a certificate of recognition and the Chief’s Challenge Coin.
Comments