TWILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — With his adrenaline racing, Deputy Adrian Finch struggled to find the right words to stop a teen from taking his life on Natchez Trace Bridge last week.
“I just started praying for my safety and his as well,” Finch said. “I was just thinking to myself ‘What do I say?’ ‘What do I do?’”.
Last Monday around 4 a.m., Finch was dispatched to the bridge where an 18-year-old was standing on the edge ready to jump.
“It kind of gave you chills to see someone that the only thing touching the bridge is the tips of their toes,” Finch said.
Body camera video shows Finch trying to get the teen to open up to him.
“He was confused about a lot of things and was talking about going to hell,” he said.
Moments later, he gets the teen to come down. The teen can be heard crying in the video as Finch hugs him.
“I wanted him to know that he’s going through something that a lot of people also go through,” the deputy said.
Finch, who’s worked in law enforcement for 16 years, was honored Tuesday afternoon, earning the title of Deputy of the Month.
“There was a purpose for me being there that day,” he said.
Finch says his greatest reward was giving the teen his phone number after getting him down, letting him know he’ll be there if he ever needs help.
“Anytime you need to talk to me, anytime you need to reach out, I’m here,” Finch said.
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