A New York City Police Department sergeant who talked a teenage boy down from jumping off the Manhattan Bridge was honored yesterday as the January “Hero of the Month.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams gave the honor to Sgt. William Hart, who joined the NYPD in 1998, and who served 21 years in the US Army and New York National Guard including tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The event unfolded on a cold day at about 5:10 p.m., Jan. 15 when Hart encountered the distraught teen while walking from Brooklyn along the Manhattan Bridge, conducting a quality of life inspection. At the time of the encounter, the emotionally disturbed late adolescent had already climbed over the fence and was sitting on the ledge, ready to jump.
Hart immediately took action, scaling the fence and after talking to the teenager, brought him to the safety of the pedestrian path.
“I want to thank Sgt. Hart for saving this young man, and I pray that he is in a healthier place today,” said Adams, a retired NYPD Captain. “Sgt. Hart’s career of sacrifice is a reflection of the heroism he showed on the Manhattan Bridge during that cold January day, and our borough is in gratitude for his continued service.”
Adams gave the Hero of the month citation to Hart at Brooklyn Borough Hall, where he also honored a group of local businesses and service-based organizations that provided free services to federal workers during the 35-day government shutdown earlier this year.
For the month of February, Adams presented “Heroes of the Month” awards to Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens; the kosher soup kitchen network Masbia, which has locations in Borough Park, Flatbush, and Forest Hills; Massage Outpost, a clinical massage therapy studio with locations in DUMBO, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg, and Sweet Chick, a popular chicken and waffles destination co-owned by hip hop/rap artist Nas that has locations in Prospect Heights and Williamsburg.
Each of these entities provided free assistance to some of the tens of thousands of federal workers who live in the New York City metropolitan area during the government shutdown, which began in the holiday season and stretched into the new year.
Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens organized a special food pantry with thousands of dollars’ worth of food for affected government employees. Masbia gave out fliers to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at John F. Kennedy (JFK) and LaGuardia airports, letting them know they could eat for free and pick up groceries at their pantries. Additionally, Massage Outpost offered free one-hour massages and Sweet Chick cooked up free meals for government workers who were out of a paycheck.
“The federal shutdown had a deep impact on so many Brooklynites, from residents of NYCHA to food stamp recipients, and it disrupted everything from air travel to tax collection,” said Adams.
“This diverse group of public servants, faith leaders, and small businesses share a common commitment Our latest ‘Heroes of the Month’ help those with nowhere else to turn, bringing hope and opportunity to those in need. They are the human embodiments of a safety net that catches our neighbors when they stumble or fall.”
