A University of North Dakota police officer and a civilian were honored after a fast-moving overpass response that campus officials say helped prevent a tragedy in Grand Forks.
According to UND Today, Cpl. Jose Solis of the UND Police Department and Matthew Smith each received the department’s Life Saving Medal during an April 2 recognition ceremony.
The university reported that the medals stemmed from their actions on July 17, 2025, when they intervened as an individual was attempting to jump from the University Avenue overpass above Interstate 29.
UND Today reported that Smith was already on scene before officers arrived, and that Solis responded to a disturbance call at the overpass. As the person moved toward the edge, Solis intervened and held on until additional officers and paramedics arrived.
“This is something special,” UND Police Chief Rodney E. Clark said, according to the university. “We had two men come together on this day, basically to make a situation better. They saw something that was wrong, and they tried to make it right.”
Solis told the university that the moment unfolded quickly and that his focus was getting the individual away from the bridge edge. Smith described stopping his truck and getting out to help as an instinctive response to someone in need.
The department also recognized Sgt. Sean Thompson as UND Police Officer of the Year, citing his professionalism, leadership, and service as a sergeant, bomb technician, mentor, and leader.
The recognition is a reminder that some of the most important public-safety moments happen before cameras, courtrooms, or headlines — when an officer and a citizen decide in seconds to move toward danger and hold the line until help arrives.
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Featured image: UND Today source photo by Adam Kurtz, with ThinBlueNews headline overlay.
ThinBlueNews will update this story if additional official information becomes available.