Officer Dustin Nicholson received the Jerry Anderson Hero Award on Saturday from the NAACP Murfreesboro Branch for his courage and compassion during a life-saving rescue.
Nicholson was honored during the MLK Breakfast at Middle Tennessee State University.
On Dec. 23, Nicholson responded to the I-24 overpass at Old Fort Parkway, where a woman had climbed over the guardrail and was in immediate danger. He calmly spoke with her before pulling her to safety. Nicholson credited his Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for guiding his actions.
“The credit goes to the citizens who kept her calm until I arrived,” Nicholson said. “There wasn’t much time to talk to her, so it was an easy decision to grab her so she could get some help.”
The award is named for Jerry Anderson, a Murfreesboro resident who died in 1989 while saving two boys from drowning in the Stones River. Anderson played football at Central High School, was part of the University of Oklahoma’s 1975 championship team and later played in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Officer Nicholson’s response reflects not only professional excellence but also deep humanity,” said School Safety Division Capt. Don Fanning. “He embodied the values of service, protection, and respect for the dignity of every individual — values that align profoundly with the legacy of Jerry Anderson and the mission of the NAACP.”
Nicholson serves as a floater School Resource Officer and is an active shooter training instructor.
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