Bodycam footage shows NYPD officers talking woman to safety off the Brooklyn Bridge
By: -----
New York, NY - NYPD officers talked a woman to safety Wednesday night after discovering her on the Brooklyn Bridge, ready to jump, and reminded her that help was available and her life mattered.
NYPD officials released the astonishing body-worn camera footage of the brave and daring rescue, showing officers from the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit (ESU) climb onto the iconic span to reach the woman in crisis who was threatening to end her life.
“My name is Chris. What’s your name? I just want to talk,” one officer said to the woman while harnessed in on the Lower Manhattan bridge. “What’s happening today? I want to help you. That’s why I’m up here right now.”
For nearly an hour, the group of officers, including Chris, stayed with the woman, who was sitting on a cable with her feet dangling, and spoke with her.
“I genuinely care. I do,” Officer Chris said, comforting the despondent woman. “It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”
In one heart-stopping moment, the woman stood up, as if about to jump. But it gave rescuers a chance to grab her as they pleaded with her not to, and they successfully pulled her to safety.
The frightening scenario unfolded about halfway up the bridge, as traffic remained at a standstill on the roadway below.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch applauded the officers and their successful rescue mission.