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UND Police Officer And Civilian Honored For Life Saving Actions on University Avenue Overpass

By Bill Dubensky Apr 9, 2026 | 6:15 AM

(Photo by Adam Kurtz/UND Today)

 

(By Adam Kurtz. UND Today) – A UND police officer and a civilian were honored Thursday, April 2, for their roles in preventing a potential tragedy on a Grand Forks overpass.

Cpl. Jose Solis of the UND Police Department and Matthew Smith each received the department’s Life Saving Medal for their actions on July 17, 2025, when they intervened to stop an individual from jumping from the University Avenue overpass above Interstate 29.

Smith, originally from Fargo, N.D., lived in Alaska with his wife, Amber, and their child while she was stationed there in the U.S. Air Force. After she was transferred to Grand Forks Air Force Base, the family chose to remain in the region.

“This is something special,” said Rodney E. Clark, associate vice president for Public Safety and UND’s chief of police. “We had two men come together on this day, basically to make a situation better. They saw something that was wrong, and they tried to make it right.”

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