Carlos Guzman, NYPD transit cop, thwarts subway suicide

An NYPD transit cop saved a despondent man's life Friday, grabbing him before he could throw himself in front of a subway train in Manhattan, officials said.

Officer Carlos Guzman, 27, was patrolling the northbound platform of the L line at First Avenue and 14th Street in the East Village about 9:30 a.m., when he spotted the man.

The unidentified 48-year-old was sitting on the edge of the platform, poised to lunge in front of an oncoming train, Guzman said later in an interview with reporters.

Guzman said the man tried to fend him off, but he held on. "Through his shirt, I was able to grab him back," the officer said.

Guzman was able to subdue the man and handcuff him.

"He kept saying he had nothing to live for; he wanted to kill himself," the officer said. "He kept telling me he wanted to get to the third rail."

Guzman accompanied the man on the trip to Beth Israel Medical Center for evaluation. At the hospital, Guzman said, he continued talking to the man, telling him that no matter how bad things seemed, it wasn't worth taking his life.

"I felt good, glad I was at the right place at the right time," said Guzman, who lives in Queens. "He said, 'Thank you for saving my life.' "