Body camera footage shows Warren police officers save suicidal man from overpass

WWJ, WARREN POLICE DEPT., CNN

By Elaine Rojas-Castillo

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    Michigan (WWJ) — Nearing the end of their shift on Easter, a few Warren police officers got multiple 911 calls about the unthinkable: a suicide attempt.

“There’s a guy on the fence, like I don’t know if he’s going to jump off of it; I don’t know what he’s doing,” said one caller.

Concerned callers said the man was climbing the I-696 overpass at the Groesbeck interchange.

Shown on body camera footage, officers found the 32-year-old sitting on top of the safety fence, preparing to jump.

“Our officers get out, and they immediately go into crisis intervention, de-escalation, emotional intelligence, human empathy mode,” said Lt. John Gajewski, Warren Police Department.

For nearly five minutes, officers try to connect with the man, asking him his name and trying to find a safe way to convince him to come down.

Gajewski says this situation is a prime example of their team’s de-escalation training in action.

“We do scenario-based exercises where officers encounter various types of role-playing scenarios, and you work on your communication skills,” said Gajewski.

Gajewski credits that near-constant training as the key to saving the man’s life.

“You see the officers develop that connection and talk to this male, not as an officer on a traffic stop, but as an adult to an adult. It’s just a great example of officers working together, training together to help the community and save a life,” said Gajewski.

Warren police say the man was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation and is now back home.

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