UHPD officer who saved suicidal student honored with award

On a quiet afternoon in April, UHPD officer Jeremy Nino was faced with an intense challenge: saving a student’s life.

With just a few moments to act after a student jumped from the East Parking Garage, Nino had to make a tough decision.

Nino took immediate action and administered CPR to the student, bringing him back from the clutches of death. Nino trusted his instincts and began working to save the student, stabilizing him, turning him on his side and clearing his airway. 

If it weren’t for Nino, the man probably would have died, according to University relations.

“The entire staff of the University of Houston Police Department is proud of the actions of Officer Nino,” UHPD Chief Ceaser Moore Jr. said.  “He acted quickly to save the life of a person in need. Officer Nino’s actions were thoughtful, selfless and lifesaving.”

Because of this action, Nino was honored with the University’s first Life Saving Award. The award was written by a fellow officer, Capt. Russell Miller, who was one of the first responders on the scene and was taken aback by Nino’s courage.

“When I first came to the scene, I immediately noticed Nino was holding the subject’s head so they didn’t choke on their own blood,” Miller said. “I wrote the award because of the quick manner that Nino acted to save the subject’s life.”

Nino, a Channelview native, first started at UHPD in November 2011. Before his current job, he was working at a warehouse and then decided to attend the police academy.  

Nino was in the area of the East Parking Garage on April 23 because of another student’s complaint. It was then that he heard a female scream and saw the student caked in blood.

“I saw the individual and just went into autopilot mode,” Nino said.

Nino insists that he was doing what any other officer would have done. He believes it was a higher force that brought him to the East Parking Garage on that afternoon.

“I was doing what I was trained to do,” Nino said. “The good man upstairs put me in the right place at the right time.”

Even after his quick actions, Nino was not sure if the student was going to survive.

“I didn’t think he was going to make it,” Nino said. “He was sent to Ben Taub (Hospital), which is a great hospital to send critically injured patients. It wasn’t until I spoke with the family that I knew he was going to make it.”

Nino met with the student’s family at the hospital the day after the incident. He still has not spoken with the student. 

“I could tell they were hurting, but it was a nice moment,” Nino said. “They had a lot of (thanks).”

After his heroic efforts, Nino went about his normal patrol route. He said he does not think about what would have happened had the student not survived, and the day does not creep into his daily thoughts.

“I don’t think about ‘what ifs?’, but I’m sure I would have felt bad. I would have had regrets if he did not make it. I am a religious man, so if the man upstairs wanted him, then he wanted him. But he didn’t,” Nino said.

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