Geneva Police Awarded For Helping Save Woman In Mental Health Crisis

GENEVA, IL — Four Geneva police officers were recognized by the City Council for helping save the life of a woman who escaped a hospital and attempted to run into traffic, police officials said.

During the Jan. 6 meeting, Chief Eric Passarelli presented Life Saving Medals to Sgt. Mark Russo and officers Dan Yates, Bob Pech and Sarah Sullivan for their "bravery and skills in providing professional care to the woman" on Oct. 15, 2024.

The award is given for "an act performed in the line of duty, which through disregard of personal safety or prompt and alert reaction, results in the saving of a person's life," according to the department's internal policy.

The officers were dispatched at 12:22 p.m. near Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital after a call came in about a woman who was seen by hospital staff leaving a bathroom while bleeding from her neck and leg, police said in a Wednesday news release. The woman evaded hospital staff to leave the building, and police found her walking near the hospital's Health and Fitness Center along Randall Road.

When police attempted to deescalate the situation and get her the necessary medical treatment, officials said the woman ran into Randall Road and almost got struck by a southbound car. The officers ran into traffic and got hold of her near the northbound guardrail on Randall Road.

"When being searched, the woman grabbed a razor blade from the waistband of her underwear," officials wrote in the release. "The woman tightly clutched the razor blade in her left hand, causing additional bleeding and posing an extreme danger to the officers."

Yates broke the woman's grip on the razor blade, and the officers handcuffed her both for her safety and police's safety, officials said. Sullivan later found a second razor blade in the woman's sock.

"The decisive actions by all four police officers, taken without regard for potential hazards, resolved a perilous situation without any substantial injuries," officials said. "The woman is alive today due to the life-saving efforts of these outstanding Geneva Police officers."

A free, 24/7, confidential service can provide people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress or those around them with support, information, and local resources. Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.