Officer Rescues Suicidal Man From Parking Ramp
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A Minnesota police officer is being praised for saving a man from jumping off a parking ramp — and the whole thing was captured on camera.
A body camera shows Duluth police officer Joe DeJesus talking to a man about to jump off a downtown parking ramp last week. The officer is able to eventually get him off of the ledge.
It's a familiar scene. In August, three Minneapolis Police officers responded to a man attempting to jump off the Third Avenue Bridge. Their rescue was captured by a bridge camera.
"When we see a situation such as on the bridge, we use our experience throughout the years and we react," Minneapolis Police officer Elliot Wong said in August.
"It's hard to actually train to rescue somebody," Minneapolis Police Lt. John Hoff said.
Hoff trains Minneapolis police officers in Crisis Intervention Training. Officers role play scenarios to prepare for personal crisis calls.
"We bring in actors to give us more lifelike situations and scenarios," Hoff said.
Several CIT certified officers are bilingual in the event of a language barrier. Hoff said in a scenario where you have someone that's trying to jump off a bridge, typically a SWAT team is called.
But sometimes, police arrive first, relying on training and instinct.
"You want to make sure the situation ends safely, and sometimes you don't have time to wait," Hoff said.