This is the heartbreaking moment New York police saved a man as he dangled in the air after throwing himself off an overpass.
The footage, posted to Facebook by Yonkers police, shows several officers trying to talk the man away from the guardrail at Yonkers Raceway around 3:30 a.m.
The unidentified man lowered his head as he leaned on the railing and officers Michael Heath and Sandro Vazquez begged him to step back. “I’m here to help,” Vazquez said.
Trying to calm the man down, Heath added, “Let’s talk about what’s going on, and then we’ll leave.” You understand? But we can’t leave with you standing here next to the railing. It’s a dangerous situation. That’s why we’re here.’
A bodycam video posted to the Yonkers Police Department’s Facebook page shows several officers trying to persuade a man to jump a guardrail
After police spoke with him for 16 minutes, the man appeared to reach for Officer Michael Heath’s hand before throwing himself over the railing.
Officers arrested the man and quickly brought him to safety
The officer extended his hand to the man, who appeared to be reaching for it – before suddenly leaping over the railing into the path of incoming traffic.
Police responded immediately and grabbed the man while his feet were in the air. They then pulled the man over the railing and to safety.
He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
“You have to humanize the situation and realize this is someone having a bad day,” Heath told News 12.
‘Where do you come from, what has brought you into this situation and what can we do to prevent this from escalating negatively.’
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano praised police who saved the man’s life.
“Good, compassionate work by our Yonkers Police saved this individual and motorists from possible harm or worse,” Spano said in a statement.
“I applaud our skilled officers who intervened with precision.
“Mental health continues to impact communities across the country, and in Yonkers we are fortunate to have the resources and support to properly train our officers so they can help those in need.”
The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. after police received a call from a person in distress who appeared to be preparing to jump into traffic.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano praised the “compassionate” work of police, which ultimately saved the man’s life
In an instant, they grabbed the man as his feet dangled over Interstate 87
Yonkers Police Chief Christopher Sapienza (third from left) praised the officers’ quick thinking
In a statement from the Yonkers Police Department, the department explained that they received a call from a witness who feared the man was going to jump over the overpass into the southbound lanes of Interstate 87 below.
“After speaking with the man for approximately 16 minutes, the man quickly turned away from the officers and jumped completely over the guardrail,” the department wrote.
They credited officers Heath, Vazquez, Melendez, Brandon, Clayton and McCown with de-escalating the situation and saving the man’s life.
“The Yonkers Police Department is committed to public safety and helping those in need, no matter the situation,” said Police Chief Christopher Sapienza.
“Our officers did a tremendous job in attempting to de-escalate this incident and then resorting to quick action to prevent what would certainly have been serious harm to the individual, despite the risk of harm to themselves.
“I congratulate everyone involved in this incident for their great work in saving a life.”
Officer Michael Heath begged the man to stand down as he prepared to jump the guardrail
Officer Sandro Vazquez is heard on bodycam video telling the jumper, “I’m here to help.”
In September, State Senator Pete Harckham of Peekskill and State Senator James Skoufis of Cornwall urged the Bridge Authority to vote to build safety railings, known as “climb deterrent fences,” on five local bridges.
They hosted suicide prevention advocates from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Westchester branch of the National Alliance for Mental Illness in a desperate plea to reduce deaths.
Senators introduced similar legislation in 2021 with State Assemblyperson Aileen Gunther of Middletown.
The bill, which did not pass, would have required the Bridge Authority to install fencing on all five Hudson Valley Bridges it oversees: Bear Mountain, Newburgh-Beacon, Mid-Hudson, Kingston-Rhinecliff and Rip Van Winkle.
Harckham said that since he helped introduce the bill in 2021, 11 people had died by suicide at the five bridges plus the Walkway on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie.