This week’s honoree is Chelsea Penn. She was nominated because, “Officer Chelsea Penn became a Nassau County Police officer in December of 2020, and was assigned to the Eighth Precinct in June of 2021. On September 11, 2022 at approximately 9:15 pm while on routine patrol in Hicksville, Officer Penn stopped at a railroad crossing on New South Road because the gates had come down. Officer Penn spotted something on the tracks, but because it was raining she couldn’t make out what it was. As she took a closer look, she realized that it was a person on a bicycle. This person turned out to be a young woman in distress. Officer Penn activated her emergency lights and exited her vehicle and yelled for the woman to get off the tracks because a train was approaching. The woman didn’t move, so Officer Penn ran onto the tracks. The young woman had to be physically removed from the train tracks. The train came through 10 seconds later and the young woman began crying. She told Officer Penn that no one wanted her and it became clear that she wanted to hurt herself and was suicidal. Officer Penn called for assistance and an ambulance. The young woman was taken to Nassau County Medical Center for treatment and a psychological evaluation. If not for Officer Penn’s observational skills and quick action, not to mention the disregard for her own safety, this could have had a very different ending.

Chelsea, thanks for all you do for the community. As a way of saying thanks, you will receive a $100 gift card for Moe’s Southwest Grill.

©2023 Cox Media Group