This past Wednesday officers of the Sandusky, Ohio Police Department saved a distraught man from an apparent suicide attempt. As you can see in the video below, officers spent a significant period of time negotiating with this man throughout the ordeal.
According to reports, police were called to the Milan Road Overpass for a reported “jumper up.” Upon arrival, officer Evan Estep immediately began speaking with the man in a calm and slow manner. Although the officers were trying their best to talk the man down, he appeared to get closer and closer to following through with jumping. At one point the man appears to be dangling over the edge, just barely holding onto the railing.
Eventually officer Evan Estep and his fellow patrolmen are able to get close enough to the man the leap forward and grab his arms. In total it takes five officers to successfully bring the man over the railing to safety. Unfortunately, this whole ordeal is a more common occurrence than you think. Luckily, a lot of officers are trained in crisis negotiation and how to properly handle emotionally disturbed people. Although larger departments have dedicated individuals for such tasks, smaller departments rely on senior officers or multi-functional officers (multiple certifications). Below you will find the video in question as well as several other videos demonstrating an officer’s ability to successfully prevent a tragic event. Please keep in mind these videos may be hard to watch. However, they highlight the level of compassion and dedication officers need to successfully carry out their duties. One minute they could be issuing a citation, the next they can be playing the role of a psychiatrist, best friend, and confidant.
