When you see a man hanging off a bridge, your first thought is most likely, “We need to get him down safely!” Or possibly, if you’ve watched too many films like me, you might think, “Is that Spider-Man?”
But if you have a heart, you’d probably never think to yell at the man and encourage him to jump off the bridge. Sadly, a few drivers on Interstate 40 in Albuquerque did just that when a suicidal man climbed over the protective fencing on the overpass.
We can only imagine the confusion going on inside his head at the time, and had it not been for officers Brandi Madrid and Candace Bisagna, he probably would have jumped that day. Madrid was the first officer on the scene and even though she has been with the department for three years, this was her first time dealing with a suicidal person. She admitted to being a little nervous at first, but then her training kicked in.
She spent nearly two hours talking to the man about his family, “The biggest thing is actually listening. He has a lot to say and a lot to express, so the main thing is taking it all in and listening to what he has to say.” Madrid told reporters.
When Bisagna arrived on the scene, she noticed that she had talked the same man down from another bridge a month before this incident. He’s clearly in need of help, and we’re hopeful he receives the help he needs after this second incident.
We also hope those people telling him to jump find their heart, because they obviously lost it a few miles back on the interstate. As the officers reminded everyone during their press conference, “Be compassionate and show a little bit of empathy with his situation. I mean he’s someone’s son, someone’s brother.”
Screengrab via: Youtube
