Officer saves lives on Mapo Bridge
Kim Chi-yellBy Lee Ji-hye One of Mapo Police Station’s daily tasks is to patrol the bridge that overlooks the Han River in western Seoul, where a series of suicides have taken place with people of various ages jumping to their death.As an entry-level police officer, Kim Chi-yell, 36, has dealt with more suicide cases than anyone at the station, having worked just more than a year after joining the force last year on April 4.According to the police station, Kim has saved more than 50 people from taking their own lives ― often risking his own life at times.Earlier this month, Kim received a report from the station at 11 p.m. saying that a male student from Gyeonggi Province was on the bridge after announcing plans to commit suicide.Kim was on the bridge when he spotted a bare-footed teenage boy 800 meters away, and sprinted toward him.Kim grasped the teenager by the ankle as he attempted to jump off, preventing a fatal fall.The student, a member of a sports team at his high school, praised the officer for his speed, saying, “I can run 100 meters in 11 seconds, bu
Apr 17, 2015