A recent online video shows the moment a police officer intervened and prevented a man from jumping off a bridge in New Jersey.
The police officer, identified as Sgt. Greg Bogert, tackled the suicide-bound man just seconds before he attempted to jump off the bridge.
The incident was captured by a police dashcam. It happened in the town of Riverdale. The police officer has been showered with praise by those who have watched the disturbing video.
According to the account of the story, Sgt Bogert from the Riverdale Police Department pulled up to the man on Route 287, near exit 53, at about 11:30 a.m. on April 25. The police had received reports that a man had been spotted walking on the edge of the bridge.
However, when Bogert arrived at the scene, the man had moved away from the bridge and was walking in front of a car on the shoulder of the road.
Bogert then tried to approach the man to ask him what is wrong with him. As Borget got close, the man started to run towards the bridge.
Bogert, knowing the danger that awaited the man, gave him a hot chase whilst yelling: “Don’t do it! Don’t do it!” The video then showed Bogert catching up to the man, and tackling him to the ground just before the man reached the edge of the bridge.
On the ground, the man continued to struggle with Bogert. Despite the danger of speeding cars, the officer held the man until backup officers arrived from the police department.
When the video of the incident was released, it went viral on social media. Many people praised Bogert for his courage. The Facebook Page of the Riverdale Police Department was bombarded with comments that commended what Bogert had done.
“I remember saying, ‘It’s not worth it, stay calm. A lot of people don’t realize how fast things happen for us, so a lot of it was instinct and reaction, more than training,” Bogert told NBC 4 New York in an interview.
It was later revealed that Bogert has served 18-years on the police force. Bogert said he was motivated to save the man from death because it feels good to save a life, adding that there are good officers out there who never get credit for the work they do.
He was quoted as saying: “There’s a lot of good cops in New Jersey and I don’t think they get credit. And it’s nice to see when people recognize it.”
Bogert also said that he has been reading all the positive comments on Facebook, including one from a woman whose family member committed suicide. The woman thanked Bogert for saving another family from the same tragedy that befell her family sometime ago.
The video is still being shared, with millions of people nationwide still watching and praising Bogert.
The police have said that the location of the attempted suicide is not considered to be a place where many people have attempted to kill themselves.
It was also revealed that the man was suffering from mental illness. He was admitted at a hospital while police looked for his family. His family are believed to be in Pennsylvania.
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