Warren Fire Chief, police save a life

Covered in gasoline and threatening to light himself afire, man talked back with kindness and compassion

By Ted Hayes
Posted 9/6/17

A man who poured gasoline on himself and threatened to light himself on fire was saved Sunday evening by police and Warren Fire Chief Al Galinelli, who used kindness and compassion to talk the …

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Warren Fire Chief, police save a life

Covered in gasoline and threatening to light himself afire, man talked back with kindness and compassion

Posted

A man who poured gasoline on himself and threatened to light himself on fire was saved Sunday evening by police and Warren Fire Chief Al Galinelli, who used kindness and compassion to talk the troubled man out of suicide.

Police got a call from off Main Street just after 5 p.m. from the man, who said he had just poured the gas on himself and was about to light it. After pinpointing his location through GPS data, police arrived and started talking to the man, who was in the backyard of a residence just off Main. They also called in Chief Galinelli and fire crews to be on standby. The man had asked for a police officer to speak to but since that officer was off, Chief Galinelli offered to talk to him soon after he arrived, as he knows him.

“He was covered” in gas, said the chief. “I had dealt with him before so I offered to help; I think I made him feel somewhat comfortable.”

Chief Galinelli sat down with the man, and they proceeded to have a conversation on life.

“We just talked,” he said. “We relayed back and forth how life can be sometimes. I told him a few stories about me and he told some stories.”

After about 15 minutes, the man started growing agitated and poured more gas on himself. Chief Galinelli knew he had to do something, so “I told him, ‘If you put it all down, I’ll give you a hug.’

After thinking about it, the man put the gas down and “I just gave him a hug,” the chief said. “Then we took him to the hospital.”

Chief Galinelli has talked to many troubled residents over the years. Some have ended well, some haven’t. He said he feels for the man, who was obviously hurting. But he said he was glad and very relieved to have been able to help and bring about a positive ending to what could have been a tragedy.

“I hope he gets the help he needs,” the chief said.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.