Bulletin Notes
Law enforcement officers are challenged daily while answering the call of duty; they face each encounter freely and unselfishly. In certain instances, their actions warrant special attention from their respective departments. The Bulletin also wants to recognize those situations that transcend the normal rigors of the profession.
K-9 Officer Daniel Sperano of the Smyrna, Georgia, Police Department was working an off-duty job when a concerned citizen told him about a man acting strangely on a nearby bridge. When Officer Sperano arrived at the bridge, the individual was attempting to jump into the river, saying he wanted to die.
The officer immediately grabbed the man, a United States Navy veteran, and prevented him from jumping. They struggled for over 3 minutes as the individual pleaded with the officer to let him die. Officer Sperano, a United States Army combat veteran, never gave up on the man and subdued him until additional officers and medical personnel arrived on scene to assist. His quick thinking, compassion, and disregard for personal harm saved the man’s life.
Officer Daniel Sperano
Nominations for the Bulletin Notes should be based on either the rescue of one or more citizens or an arrest(s) made at unusual risk to an officer’s safety. Submissions should include a short write-up, a separate photograph of each nominee, and a letter from the department’s ranking officer endorsing the nomination. Submissions can be e-mailed to leb@fbi.gov or mailed to Editor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135.