Man Convinced Not to Jump Off Colorado Street Bridge by Crisis Negotiators

Negotiators convinced a distraught 29-year-old Inglewood man not to jump to his death off the Colorado Street Bridge during a two-hour incident Thursday afternoon.

The man climbed over the suicide-mitigation fencing and onto the outside of the bridge, police said.

Officers were aware the man might be headed for the bridge after they received a call from his girlfriend earlier in the day.

Pasadena Fire Dept. and police teams blocked the bridge and talked to the man after he was spotted in an alcove shortly after 1 p.m.

Authorities said the man’s family was also brought to the scene to speak with him in an effort to convince him to return to safety.

He became agitated at one point climbed outside the fencing, but about 3:15 p.m. police were able to take him into custody.

He was uninjured. Police said he was to be taken to a hospital for psychological evaluation.

The Colorado Street Bridge has become controversial because many people object to the methods being used to prevent the suicide jumpers who have come to span over the decades.

Currently, a 10-foot tall tight-mesh chain link fencing is installed as a temporary measure as the City reviews different permanent options.

The installation of emergency fencing on the sides of the bridge in 2017 coincided with a dramatic drop in the number of suicide attempts, from eight cases in 2017 to just three in 2018, or a 63 percent drop, according to Pasadena Police Department records.

 

 

 

 

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The National Suicide Hotlines are available 24/7 at 1-800 SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) and 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

Additional help is available at the Didi Hirsch 24-hour Crisis Line: 1-877-727-4747 (en Español: 1-800-628-9454)
LGBTQ – The Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Trans Crisis Line: 1-877-565-8860
Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741-741
People of Color Crisis Text Line: Text STEVE to 741-741