Courage honoured

A DANDENONG police officer who grabbed a man as he tried to leap off a bridge has received one of the highest police honours.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon presented Senior Constable Richard Walter of Dandenong Traffic Management Unit with a Chief Commissioner’s Commendation.
On 6 August 2007, Sen Const Walter was conducting a traffic patrol with Sen Const Dennis Fuh when at 10.55am they responded to a call of a man attempting to jump from an overpass on Westall Road in Clayton South.
Upon arrival, they noticed the man on the highest section of the bridge threatening to jump.
Despite attempts to negotiate the man down to safety, he continued to yell that he was going to jump.
While negations continued, other police members from Cheltenham and Chelsea arrived.
Sen Const Walter had positioned himself to talk the man out of jumping, but without warning the man on the bridge swung around, let go, and began falling.
Sen Const Walter dived forward to grab hold of the man, preventing him from falling.
With help from the other police members on scene, the man was restrained and bought back to safety.
Ms Nixon said Mr Walter showed great courage in his actions, and her citation read:
“For conspicuous courage and decisive action, and at great personal danger he prevented a male from jumping to his likely death from a railway bridge at Clayton South on 6 August 2007.”