Like all police officers, Westport’s men and women vow to “protect and serve.”
Whether on duty or off.
At 6:45 this morning, Officer Brian Meraviglia was driving to work on Fairfield’s Redding Road. On the bridge, he saw a man preparing to jump onto the Merritt Parkway below.
Meraviglia stopped, and spoke to the distraught man. Moving closer, Meraviglia grabbed him and moved him away from the bridge.
Meraviglia and a good Samaritan who was passing by comforted the man, and gave him emotional support.
Fairfield Police officers and State Police troopers soon responded to the scene. The man was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Officer Brian Meraviglia (Photo/James Fiffer, courtesy of Ursus)
Ursus — the Bedford Middle School newspaper — reported in 2019 that Meraviglia was the school’s security officer. He had been a state police trooper for 32 years, then served for two years as Saugatuck Elementary School’s SSO.
The towns of Westport and Fairfield join Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas in thanking Officer Meraviglia for his quick and caring actions.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please understand that there are people who want to help as well as available resources. For further information, click here.
