Warrenton police officer Sgt. Larry Ellard had a split-second decision to make. It would require him putting his own life in danger. Fortunately, it turned out to be the right one. With a suicidal man sitting on a 6-inch guardrail overlooking Interstate 70 and threatening to jump onto the busy highway, Ellard grabbed the man and pulled him safely to the ground. Last month, Ellard was one of seven officers from across the state to be presented the Missouri Medal of Valor for his heroic act and bravery in saving the man’s life and others traveling on the interstate. Also present at the Nov. 17 ceremony were Department of Public Safety Director John M. Britt and Col. Ron Replogle, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The Medal of Valor is awarded annually by the governor after recommendations are submitted by a review board. State statute authorizes up to seven medals each year. Ellard said it was an honor to have been chosen. “It was quite a shock,” he said. “I consider myself like any other cop. We were doing our job. “It’s quite an honor for the governor to take time to recognize police officers from across the state.” Hard to believe that a decade ago Ellard was working and fixing telephones until deciding to change professions and attend the police   academy. From there, he graduated in January 2000 and then was hired as a Warren County sheriff’s deputy. Later that year, he joined the Warrenton Police Department and has since moved up to the rank of sergeant. “It’s something I always wanted to do,” he said about becoming a cop. Ellard relied on his experience on May 12, 2009. After responding to the overpass to confront the suicidal man, he used the loud noise roaring from the interstate as a reason to lean in and draw closer. Suddenly, the man had stopped communicating with Ellard and clenched his fists as if he was psyching himself to jump. Recognizing an opening, Ellard then grabbed the man’s arm and wrestled him off the overpass. “My first concern was him not falling onto the highway,” Ellard recalled. “The second thing was the safety of the public and his safety. He wouldn’t talk to me, so I acted like I couldn’t hear him.” Looking back, Ellard understood that a wrong move or slip might have led to him and the man falling onto the interstate. Nonetheless, it was a chance he had to take. The man was later taken to a hospital and admitted for psychiatric treatment. “He was at that point, I had to do something,” Ellard said. “You got to think on your feet. You have to analyze the situation. You go there and do it.” Warrenton Police Chief Greg Houdyshell, who accompanied Ellard to the Jefferson City ceremony, said the recognition was well deserved for his officer. Earlier this year, Ellard was the department’s first recipient of its Medal of Valor. “It’s a big deal for him,” Houdyshell said. “I am super proud of him. He’s an accomplished officer. He knows he did something special, but it’s just like another day for him.”