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Berrien County deputies honored for life‑saving March 5 response
Summary
Berrien County officials awarded five deputies for actions that helped save a woman attempting suicide at Arthur Dodd Memorial Park on March 5, 2025; awards included meritorious service and life‑saving bravery honors.
Berrien County officials presented awards March 5 to five deputies who responded to a March 5, 2025, suicide attempt at Arthur Dodd Memorial Park in Cass County, recognizing what the sheriff called “bravery, decisive action, and commitment to the preservation of human life.”
The awards ceremony, held during the Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting, named Deputy Brian Rutt and Deputy Wesley Marcellus recipients of the meritorious service award; Deputy Marcus Chartrand and Deputy Ethan Zeiger recipients of the life‑saving bravery award; and Deputy Lucas Runzer a certificate of accommodation.
The sheriff described the March 5 incident: deputies found a woman under a pavilion with a green extension cord tied to a rafter and wrapped around her neck, standing on a step stool with gasoline nearby. “Deputy Marcellus demonstrated courage as he rushed to the female, held her up so that she could not hang herself,” the sheriff said. Deputies Chartrand and Zeiger cut the cord, and deputies guided the woman to the ground and kept her calm until an ambulance arrived. Runzer had retrieved a fire extinguisher in case the woman ignited the gasoline.
The sheriff said the awards followed review by an awards committee and that pins and certificates would be delivered to deputies who could not attend. The board observed the presentation and recessed afterward for photographs.
The presentation noted the date of the incident as March 5, 2025, and categorized the awards as meritorious service, life‑saving bravery, and a certificate of accommodation. No formal board action or vote was associated with the awards presentation.
The Berrien County Sheriff's Office and the board commended the deputies for their actions during the incident.
