July Enforcement Staff Members of the Month
- By Robin Brown
- Posted Friday, September 1, 2023
On July 25th, 2023, a concerned citizen called the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office to report an individual whom she believed was going to jump off the bridge at Reynolda Road/Highway 67 which spans the Yadkin River. Sergeant K. Visser and Corporal J. Shew responded to the same location that the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office had responded to less than an hour prior for the same type of call. That agency located the individual and had him leave the bridge. Sergeant Visser and Corporal Shew arrived on the scene and spoke with the individual at length to build rapport. Corporal T. Southard, a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office’s Crisis Negotiator, arrived to assist as well. Corporal Southard began speaking with him as Corporal Shew conducted traffic control. Eventually, the individual agreed to walk off of the bridge. Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the location and took over the incident since the individual was now in their jurisdiction. Sergeant Visser, Corporal Shew, and Corporal Southard were instrumental in convincing the individual to safely leave the bridge. All three took the time to have an actual conversation with him in which they displayed a large amount of patience and empathy. This was a true example of how law enforcement officers care for the public. Their actions reflect the core humanity and goals of this agency. We are very proud of what they did.
