MIAMI COUNTY, Ind. – On Monday, July 31, at approximately 7:03pm, Sergeant Samantha Raber received information of a male subject on the Wayne Street bridge who was contemplating jumping off the bridge. When Sergeant Raber, along with Officers Colten Pitner and Shawn Swinford arrived, they observed a male subject sitting on the railing of the bridge with his feet hanging over toward the water. In speaking with the male, Officers found he was having personal issues with his family. The male was getting agitated as he was on his Facebook account with a live feed.
After speaking with this male for a short time, he would go from being somewhat calm, to very agitated. At a time when the male had his attention drawn to his phone and his Facebook feed, Officer Swinford came up from behind the male and was able to pull the male to safety. At that point the male was handcuffed. The male was transported to Dukes Memorial Hospital for an evaluation. Peru Police Chief Mike Meeks said, “I cannot say enough of how proud I am of Sergeant Samantha Raber, and Officers Colten Pitner and Shawn Swinford. They were able to talk to the male and keep him from making a decision to jump, and the actions of Officer Swinford were heroic. He risked his life, and the potential of going in the river as well, to save the life of another.”