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The incident happened on Thursday, Oct. 19 around 3:30 a.m., when Yonkers Police responded to a report of a man threatening to jump from the overpass over southbound Interstate 87 in the area of 521 Central Park Ave.
According to the department, arriving police found the man leaning against the overpass guardrail in apparent distress. Officers Michael Heath and Sandro Vazquez then tried talking with the man and urged him to step away from the edge and talk about his problems with authorities.
After close to 20 minutes of talking with the man, he proceeded to turn from the officers and jump completely over the guardrail, police said.
There to catch him just before he fell, though, were several Yonkers officers including Heath and Vazquez, who pulled the man back over the guardrail to safety. He was then taken to an area hospital to be evaluated.
A video depicting the incident was later released by the department on social media.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano praised the officers involved in the successful rescue.
"Good, compassionate work by our Yonkers Police saved this individual and motorists from potential injury or worse," Spano said, adding, "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.”
Anyone who is in crisis or knows someone who is struggling can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24/7 nationwide.
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