Dighton police officers receive commendation for saving man’s life

DIGHTON — Chief Robert MacDonald and Board of Selectmen Chairman Brett Zografos are pleased to report that multiple Dighton Police officers were honored by the Dighton Board of Selectmen for saving a man’s life two months ago.

This past November, Officer Steven Ferreira, Officer Michael Marshall, Det. Ryan Richards and Sgt. Shawn Cronin responded to a report of a person in distress at a residence in Dighton.

Upon arrival, officers engaged the man in conversation from a distance, remaining calm and patient. It became clear to the officers that this was a serious mental health situation, which the officers are trained to respond to due to their training in dealing with mental health, critical incidents and de-escalation. Because of the actions of the responding officers, they were able to deescalate the situation and successfully prevented the potential loss of life.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the responding officers, and of their dedication to the safety and wellbeing of all our community members,” Chief MacDonald said. “Their quick action helped to save this man’s life, and we cannot thank them enough. I am extremely pleased to see them being recognized for their outstanding work.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 16, the members of the Dighton Board of Selectmen virtually presented the four officers with letters of commendation for their response to the incident and their efforts.

“The Dighton Board of Selectmen are honored to commend and recognize all of the officers involved in this call,” Chairman Zografos said. “Officers Ferreira and Marshall, Det. Richards and Sgt. Cronin relied on their training, exercised good judgment, and worked as a team, which resulted in them preventing a loss of life and allowing the individual to get the help they need.”