Veteran in town for pushup campaign helps thwart kidnapping, Kansas police say
A U.S. veteran raising awareness of veteran suicide across the country by doing 50 pushups in 50 state capitols performed an additional act of service while in the Sunflower State. He helped thwart a kidnapping, police said.
In a Facebook Live video Darren Hafford recorded prior to his 50 pushups, he said Topeka, Kansas, was the 47th stop on his nationwide tour. His 10-minute video started at 8:18 p.m. Central time on Thursday.
Following his pushups, at about 8:55 p.m., police were called to the 800 block of Southwest Harrison Street after someone reported a suspected kidnapping, police said, according to WIBW. That caller was Hafford, and he had noticed a woman in the passenger seat of a car who appeared to be in distress. The car was being driven away by a man.
With help from Hafford, officers with the Topeka Police Department found the car with the kidnapping suspect and 86-year-old woman still inside, KSNT reported. They were found in front of the Kansas State Capitol, near the 300 block of Southwest 10th Avenue.
David S. Baker, 54, of Topeka, was arrested, KSNT reported, and the woman was OK. Police said Baker and the woman did not know each other.
“TPD would like to thank Hafford for immediately stepping into action to help a stranger in need,” said Gretchen Spiker, public relations specialist for the Topeka Police Department, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Shawnee County jail records show Baker was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, theft, driving with a suspended license and assault. He is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Hafford, a Marine Corps and Army veteran, maintains the website 50 State Capitols in 50 Days. He started his 50-day challenge on July 4 in Austin, Texas, with hopes of raising awareness for combating veteran suicide.
The 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, published by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, stated that “from 2005 to 2018, the age- and sex-adjusted suicide rates among veterans were higher and rose faster than those among non-Veteran U.S. adults.”
A total of 6,435 U.S. veterans died from suicide in 2018, according to the report.
“If you’re having a tough time, please reach out to someone,” Hafford said in a video on his site. “It could save your life. The world is a much better place with you in it. That’s why you’re here, and we’d like to keep you around.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Veteran in town for pushup campaign helps thwart kidnapping, Kansas police say."