A Bismarck police officer saved a life after a man attempted to kill himself by jumping off a bridge over the Missouri River on Tuesday.
Officer Kent Kaylor's normal job with the department is as a crime analyst, but he was filling in for a short-staffed patrol shift when he was dispatched to the Liberty Memorial Bridge around 12:46 p.m., according to The Bismarck Tribune.
The five-year veteran spotted the man, who began climbing the bridge railing after seeing his cruiser.
Kaylor yelled "no" and ran over to the man. Just as he reached him, the man began to spread his arms to let go of the bridge. The officer "bear hugged" the man and pulled him to safety.
The man was transported to a local hospital where a doctor committed him to the psychiatric unit.
