CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago police officer has been honored for defusing a situation with an individual who was having a mental health episode.
Several months ago, Officer Chuck Trendle responded to a call at the Access Community Health Network center, where he used de-escalation techniques to get a woman to go to an in-patient care facility.
Trendle has taught the techniques at the Chicago Police Department's academy.
The team at Access Community Health recognized officer Trendle on Wednesday as a community champion for his work.
"You can't just sit there and heavy-handed say, 'You're going to jail,' or 'You're going to the hospital, whether you like it or not.' You have to treat them humanely," Trendle said.
Chicago officer honored for helping person experiencing mental health episode
