Homestead police honor Officer Daniel Sella for life-saving response

The City of Homestead and Homestead Police Department honored Officer Daniel Sella at a March 18 presentation ceremony for a life-saving intervention earlier this year.

Police Chief Mario Knapp described the Jan. 19 call as dispatched as a possible suicide in progress and said Officer Sella observed a young man hanging inside a residence, forced entry through a window, improvised to free the victim, and used a scissor from a butcher's block to cut the material and then provide airway support until signs of life returned. "This was courage," Knapp said, describing the officer's "decisiveness under pressure."

Officer Sella accepted the commendation and briefly thanked the department. The mayor and council invited photos with the officer and procurement staff afterward.

The chief urged the public to remember the human circumstances behind emergency calls and praised the professionalism and compassion demonstrated in the rescue. The city presented the Homestead Police Department's life-saving award to Officer Sella in recognition of the actions described.