Quick action by Atlantic City reservist saves a life On New Year’s Day, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Scott of Sector Field Office Atlantic City was on duty in his civilian job as a New Jersey State trooper stationed out of the Bellmawr Barracks in Camden County. Scott joined the Coast Guard at 17, and he’s spent the last 15 years training at Atlantic City-based units. Seven years ago, he became a state trooper. That cold morning a few months ago, he’d been on duty since 4:30 a.m. when his station received a call about a male pedestrian walking along the interstate highway. By the time Scott and his partner, Trooper P. Perez, located him, the man was near the Walt Whitman Bridge, which leads into Philadelphia. The officers said the man had one leg over the concrete barrier, threatening to commit suicide. Other troopers began to arrive, and circled around him about 15 feet away The man, who they later found out was intoxicated, was distressed and acting erratically, yelling at officers to stay back. To his right, Perez calmly engaged him in conversation, attempting to console and deter him, but the 19-year-old man remained adamant that no police officers should come any closer. Scott said the situation was very tense, and eventually, the man began attempting to stand on top of the concrete barrier, a dangerous idea made worse by his distress and the bitter cold. The reservist described watching the man look at the semi- circle of troopers around him as he continued to contemplate his jump, and Scott said he knew he had to intervene. “I sprinted up to the barrier, and I bear hugged him around his waist,” said Scott. “I put one foot up on the barrier and basically suplexed him back to the ground. I told him, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna get you some help.’” Immediately, his fellow troopers helped restrain the man for his own safety, and he was later taken to Cooper University Hospital. Scott said he knew there was a small window of opportunity when he knew he’d succeed. “In the moment, you know you need to do something,” he said. “You have to act. It was a good result all the way around.” “Petty Officer Scott did a remarkable job saving that person in such a critical situation--his Coast Guard and police training paid off,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Brian Miley, the senior enlisted Reserve advisor for SFO Atlantic City. “His calm approach and strategy helped him avoid a possibly disastrous event. We’re honored to have a person with his level of experience on the team.” A few weeks after the case, Officer Scott transferred to the Marine Division of the New Jersey State Police where he’ll continue his service to his community. Scott serves as a firearms coach for SFO Atlantic City, and he has a degree in teaching. Combining the two skills, he volunteers weekly as a firearms marksmanship coach at the armory at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J., teaching critical marksmanship skills to recruits. He plans to become a firearms instructor. . Issue 2 • 2021 . RESERVIST 11
