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‘I can’t die’

Canton, OH, Letter Carrier Richard Henderson

Letter Carrier Richard Henderson was delivering mail last winter in Canton, OH, when he thought he heard a car backfire.

Henderson turned around and saw a vehicle speeding off as a man ran toward him.

“Please call 911!” he yelled. “I’ve been shot!”

The Postal Service employee immediately took off his sweater as the man lay down on the ground, and applied pressure to the wound while calling 911.

As he rendered first aid, Henderson asked the victim for details about the incident and relayed them to a neighbor on the scene, as a backup in case anything was forgotten in the swirl of activity.

“I can’t die,” the man said repeatedly. “I just had a baby girl.”

Emergency responders soon arrived to provide further assistance.

“Rich is an Army veteran, and his training and quick thinking gave this young man a second chance at life,” said local Customer Services Manager Leanne Ramer. “I commend his actions, his selflessness, and his dedication to the Postal Service while performing his duties on a daily basis, no matter the circumstances.”

Henderson also represented USPS in a video tribute to the nation’s essential workers that aired during this year’s Super Bowl.

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