Groton police officers save a man in distress on the Gold Star Bridge
By: -----
Groton, CT - Police officers in Groton, Connecticut, are being credited with saving a man in crisis on the Gold Star Bridge.
The Groton Police Department is commending those officers for showing the man compassion when he needed it most.
When Groton officers Bryan Albee and Cristopher Brillon arrived, they found a man straddling the bridge security barrier.
They began talking with him, building trust and working to calm the situation.
The incident started around 4:48 pm Sunday, when Groton Ambulance personnel were crossing the bridge and spotted a man with one leg over the top of the security barrier.
Officers pleaded with the man to come down, at one point, he asked Officer Albee if he would give him a hug. Albee said yes, but he added needed to come down first.
The man agreed to climb down, Officer Albee slowly walked toward him, and the two embraced in a heartbreaking but also bittersweet kind of moment.
"You come down here man, I'll give you a hug, I promise. I promise you,” an officer is heard saying in the video.
Following that moment, Connecticut State Police arrived and took over the investigation.
Officer Albee stayed with the man because of the connection they had built.
He rode with him in an Ambulance to a local hospital, where the man was taken for further evaluation.