Two Ramsey County Sheriff's officers are being lauded for their heroics after stepping in to help a state trooper during an off-duty encounter in Minneapolis. Lieutenant Shannon Williams and Grecia Olmedo, both corrections officers, were caught on camera assisting a Minnesota trooper who found himself struggling with a person in crisis last week, as reported by FOX 9.
The incident unfolded on Lyndale Avenue near the I-94 overpass, where the two officers, poised to recruit for their department, were stopped at a traffic light and observed the unfolding chaos. Williams said, "We noticed a person in crisis waving their hands and kind of blocking traffic." They were quick to act when they saw the trooper's radio nearly fall off as he called for help. "We both looked at each other [and] were like he needs help and we need to help him," Olmedo expressed in a statement obtained by FOX 9.
Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin deemed their actions "quite frankly... heroic." Both Williams and Olmedo feel that interventions like these are part of their community commitment. "It feels amazing, it feels amazing because we love to help people, we enjoy helping people," said Olmedo, as stated by FOX 9.
No injuries occurred during the confrontation, with the officers' de-escalation training proving essential for calming the individual. "We didn’t have our duty belts because we were off duty," Olmedo said. Martin, not surprised by the officers' conduct, spoke highly of their reflexes and expertise, "This is what our corrections officers do every day and they help the community. They reacted impulsively to help this trooper and they’re experts in de-escalation," as per KSTP.
