Royal Oak Police Officer Prevents Suicide

ROYAL OAK, MI — A Royal Oak police officer has been credited with preventing a suicide.

Royal Oak police Officer Anthony Gagliardi was on patrol on Jan. 14 at approximately 8:41 p.m. when he used a thermal imaging camera to check the exterior of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The camera detected a person by St. Mary's, and Officer Gagliardi walked towards the subject.

Officer Gagliardi noticed the subject had tied a chain and belt around a tree and their neck and was on the verge of hanging themselves. Officer Gagliardi talked with the individual, engaging them in conversation, while other officers safely took the person into protective custody. The individual was uninjured and transported to a hospital for treatment.

This case is being heralded as a model of incredible police work and powerful technology. Lieutenant Keith Spencer of the Royal Oak police told Patch all Royal Oak patrol vehicles are equipped with a thermal imaging camera, however an officer needs to turn it on to be active. Lieutenant Spencer explained "The way it works is you see the heat from live people or things that are warm and the camera distinguishes between black and white. If you're looking at a forest then everything will be dark but if there's a person or animal, they'll show up as white."

In regards to this particular instance, Lieutenant Spencer sums it up as "Some good outcomes and fantastic work by Officer Gagliardi."

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