New York police made a dramatic rescue last week when officers were able to pull a distressed man to safety after he tried to jump from an overpass.
The incident happened at about 3:30 a.m Oct. 19 when Yonkers police responded to a report of a man hanging over an overpass guardrail, according to a social media post by the department. Once at the scene, officers talked to the man who appeared to be in crisis and tried to convince him to step away from the edge of the guardrail.
The man kept talking with police for just over 15 minutes until he suddenly turned away from officers and tried to leap from the overpass. Officers were able to quickly grab a hold of the man, and body camera footage captured them pulling him to safety. The individual then was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
“Good, compassionate work by our Yonkers Police saved this individual and motorists from potential injury or worse,” Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement. “I applaud our skillful officers who stepped in with precision. Mental health continues to affect communities across the country, and, in Yonkers, we are fortunate to have resources and support to properly train our officers so they can assist those in need.”
Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza praised the responding officers for their efforts to avert a tragedy.
"Our Officers did an amazing job attempting to de-escalate this incident and then resorting to taking quick action to prevent what would have certainly been serious injury to the individual, despite the risk of injury to themselves," he said. "I applaud all involved in this incident for their amazing work in saving a life."
