Time can be a life saver when danger looms. A police officer from the National Police intervened to prevent a woman from harming herself at her Barcelona home. The husband, in a desperate call, reached the emergency line 091 and received help from an officer stationed at the Intelligence Center for Coordination, Mandate and Control of the National Police.
He described his wife as highly agitated and nervous, holding a large knife and shouting that she intended to end her life in the presence of their two daughters, aged 15 and 18. The situation escalated quickly, and the central operator immediately alerted the 112 rescue services and dispatched a patrol and medical team to the residence. Yet the officer who took the call continued guiding the husband, who was visibly frayed, in keeping the channels open and stabilizing his own nerves while the crisis unfolded.
The family spokesperson explained that the woman had a history of psychiatric treatment and was on antidepressants. He admitted she had never before shown behavior of this intensity, and under the moment’s pressure she clutched the knife with a dangerous grip. He also reported that she had made threats of self-harm, moving the knife along her abdomen and legs in front of their daughters.
The telephone responder offered stepwise instructions, but the husband remained excessively anxious, asking for permission to activate the hands-free option so she could speak with his wife. The wife initially refused to listen or engage. Then the younger daughter decided to intervene, taking the phone and assisting her mother. The police reached out to the daughter by voice, delivering calm and precise guidance to help soothe her mother’s distress.
The operator instructed the daughter on how to proceed, and she began talking to her mother with a careful, affectionate tone, asking her to release the knife and to speak quietly. Her words, delivered with tenderness, prompted the mother to lower the blade. The mother and daughter then embraced, both broken by tears but now connected in a calmer moment.
Soon after, a patrol from the Barcelona Urban Guard arrived and took charge of the scene. The officers’ timely presence and the crisis management performed by the family—jointly guided by the dispatcher and the daughter—allowed the woman to abandon her harmful plan and seek medical and psychological support on the spot.