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PHOENIX (KSAZ) - For one Valley man, it was a graduation he never thought he'd see.
Thomas Slocumb almost ended his own life, but says two Phoenix Police officers talked him out of it. Now, Slocumb says he owes his life to them.
"My plan that day was to be done," said Slocumb. "I was going to end everything, but because of them two I didn't."
Slocumb was talking about Phoenix Police officers Eric Burke and Daniel Erickson. It was 3 years ago when Slocumb, a veteran who had just returned from Afghanistan, said he was ready to commit suicide. That's when the officers showed up at his door
"We contacted him and made sure he was OK, and he was making statements to indicate he wasn't OK, and found out that he was a veteran returning from combat and experiencing some intense emotional issues because of that," said Officer Burke.
Now, Slocumb is a family man again and a college graduate, having recently finished an undergraduate program at Arizona State University.
"How do you thank somebody for saving your life?" said Slocumb. "It's something you can't put into words."
Slocumb tracked the two officers down and presented them, through teary eyes, the stole he wore at graduation. It's a thank you for the chance encounter that kept him going.
"It's a huge step that he took, to not only get himself the help that he needed, but to graduate college now," said Officer Erickson.
"We're here to help people, and whenever we have an opportunity to see someone come back to us and say hey you helped me, it kind of makes you feel good," said Officer Burke.
"When I saw them, it brought back that day and how much they helped me, but maybe not realized how much they helped me, and it was a blessing to see them," said Slocumb.
Slocumb has already begun his master's program at ASU. He says he'll be going into social work, and says he would one day like to help veterans like himself.
Suicide Prevention Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
1-800-273-8255
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (In Spanish/En Español)
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-yourself/en-espanol/
1-888-628-9454
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Deaf or Hard of Hearing)
TTY: 1-800-799-4889