Former Florida place-kicker Eddy Pineiro and his father, Eddy Pineiro Sr., have been recognized by the Gainesville Police Department for possibly saving the life of a young woman who was being assaulted last October.
Former Florida place-kicker Eddy Pineiro and his father, Eddy Pineiro Sr., have been recognized by the Gainesville Police Department for possibly saving the life of a young woman who was being assaulted last October.
“We’re very proud of Eddy Jr. and Sr.,” GPD spokesman Ben Tobias said Monday. “Their bravery. … they had no clue what kind of situation they were running into, but they felt that it was important enough to make sure that this female in this case was saved. We can’t thank them enough for their actions.”
GPD recently presented both Pineiro and his father with a Police Service Award for “contributions to Law Enforcement that improve the quality of life within the community.”
According to police, the quick actions of the Pineiros in the early morning of Oct. 15 helped the victim escape from her attacker.
According to the Police Service Award, here is an account of what happened:
“The investigation concluded that the female was being a victim of dating violence by her boyfriend. She was thrown to the ground, violently punched and choked. Her screams for anyone to help woke Eddy Pineiro Jr. Eddie looked outside and witnessed this violent crime.
“Without hesitation, he yelled to his father, who was visiting from Miami, and told him he was going to help her. They both ran down three flights of stairs and across the property to intervene.
“As they were approaching, the female was able to escape the grasp of her attacker and flee. The suspect gave chase and was able to catch her. At the same time, Eddy Pineiro Jr. caught up and was able to grab the attacker off of the victim. This gave the victim a chance to leave the area without further violence to her
“Due to Eddy Pineiro Jr. and Eddy Pineiro Sr.’s selfless acts and extreme bravery, the victim was saved from possible severe injuries or even death.”
The attacker is currently serving jail time, according to police.
Pineiro took a picture of his Police Service Award and posted it on Twitter on Sunday.
"Everyone please read this!" Pineiro tweeted. "This is a perfect example of why you should never put your hands on a woman! You will go to jail for a long time! Treat women with respect!"
As a redshirt junior last season, Pineiro made 17 of 18 field goal attempts. He is forgoing his senior year to enter the NFL draft. For his career, he was successful on 38 of 43 field goal attempts.