Portland Police Talk Suicidal Man Out of Jumping From Steel Bridge

Monday, March 06, 2017
GoLocalPDX News Team

A man threatening to commit suicide by jumping from the steel bridge over the Willamette River on Sunday was talked out of it by Portland Police and taken to a hospital for help. 

The Incident 

On Sunday, March 5, at 3:01 p.m., Central Precinct officers responded to the north side of the Steel Bridge on the report of a man hanging onto the railing over the Willamette River. 

Officers arrived and saw a man standing on the edge of the bridge, hanging off towards the water. A Good Samaritan stopped and was talking with the distraught man prior to police arrival. 

Officers spoke with the distraught 44-year-old man and learned that he was in a mental health crisis and was considering suicide. Officers convinced the man to come back over the railing and go to the hospital for treatment. The man agreed and allowed officers to help him over the railing. He was taken to a Portland hospital on a Police Officer Hold (POH). 

Suicide Prevention Help 

The Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center is available 24 hours a day at 503-988-4888. 

If you or someone you know needs help with suicidal thoughts or is otherwise in an immediate mental health crisis, please visit Cascadia or call 503-963-2575. Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare has an urgent walk-in clinic, open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., 7 days a week. Payment is not necessary. 

Lines for Life is also available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).