A former college baseball star-turned-Charleston police officer is being celebrated after rescuing a distraught man as he attempted to jump off the North Bridge in January. 

Police officers from Charleston and North Charleston rushed to the bridge the night of Jan. 20 over reports a man had called family members to say he was going to jump.

Kyle Skeels, who has been with the Charleston Police Department since June 2020 after a brief stint in minor-league baseball, was the first to arrive. 

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Skeels has attended crisis-intervention training program with the Charleston Police Department, which teaches officers how to respond safely and quickly to people with serious mental illnesses in crisis, emphasizing de-escalation techniques and active listening skills.

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Skeels was about 10 feet away. He said he was concerned the man might have a weapon on him, but he set aside his fears and sprinted to the railing, grabbing the man and using his momentum to pull him back onto the bridge. 

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Skeels, originally from Pennsylvania, said he fell in love with the South while playing ball at Coastal Carolina. He said a career in law enforcement was a dream of his, so he decided to return to South Carolina after the minor leagues. 

“I decided it was a good fit for me,” he said. 

Full story at the Post and Courier.