NEWARK — A pair of city police officers are being recognized for saving a teen who was on the verge of jumping from a third-floor fire escape.

Body camera footage released by the City Department of Public Safety shows the quick action of Sgt. Antonio Barbosa and Officer Shaquille Johnson, who stopped the 13-year-old as he was trying to squeeze past a safety fence next to a window ledge on Monday.

Barbosa and Johnson responded to a call about 5 p.m. at the juvenile at Youth Consultation Services at 284 Broadway. The teen had locked himself in a common area and was out on the fire escape when police arrived.

Watch the edited video, below:

YCS provides services to families who have children with special needs. Some of the children have been affected by trauma and and others are affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Barbosa distracted the teen by talking to him, giving Johnson the chance to quickly grab him and pull him back down from the ledge, police said.

The teen was then taken to University Hospital for evaluation.

“In saving this child’s life, these officers exhibited the type of dedication and commitment that the people of the City of Newark can be proud of,” Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said. “I believe we can all applaud them as heroes and as invaluable community guardians.”

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