'Angel on the Bridge' recognized for stopping man from jumping off 2nd Street Bridge

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After a week of anonymity, the city has learned the name of the woman, nicknamed the "angel on the bridge," who helped prevent a man from jumping off the 2nd Street Bridge.

That woman is Kristen Keeling. She's a Louisville mom and piano teacher.

Last week, body camera footage of the incident was released on the Louisville Metro Police Department Facebook page. Police said officers were downtown around 5 p.m. when they were called to a report that there was a man in crisis who wanted to jump off the bridge.

In the body camera footage, an LMPD officer identified as Detective Kyle Willis is the first on the scene. The video shows him driving up on the woman and a man on the sidewalk next to the southbound lanes of the bridge.

Keeling was on a routine jog, crossing the bridge when she noticed a man she described as being, "off."

"He was leaning over the rail, head down. You could just feel it," Keeling said as she recalled the moment approaching him. "I asked how he was doing. And it took a while like for me to accept the severity of the situation. I think we, we don't want to accept that people are really not doing well. But as it unfolded, I realized he did want to, he was, he was ready to go in that moment."

In the moments before police arrived, Keeling said she tried to talk to the man.

"I looked in his eyes and I was like, 'you look really sad. Can you tell me what's going on? Can you tell me what's on your heart?'" said Keeling.

Not captured on camera is the first time the man attempted to jump.

"I was trying to call 911, and stop him. And I think it was like the ultimate multi-task," Keeling said. "I grabbed him by the waist, and had my hand on his arm, and he was just, like, we were just talking, and I asked if, you know, we could leave the bridge."

That's when Willis arrived to the scene. He was not scheduled to work that day, but volunteered to help with downtown patrol.

The moment captured on camera, is the second time the man tried to jump. Keeling said the man threatened to jump if police showed up.

Together, Willis and Keeling pulled the man down. A second bystander also assists getting the man away from the rail as more police arrive.

"I don't think there's really a lot of training that you could do," Willis said. "I think it's just time and experience, but even in that situation, I may have looked calm, I may have sounded calm. It was definitely a very traumatic situation."

Mayor Craig Greenberg recognized Keeling and Willis' heroic effort during his weekly press conference.

"A citizen and an LMPD officer came together with an act of heroism, selflessness, concern and courage to help someone else in our community who was in need," Greenberg said.

There to congratulate the duo were the three sisters of the man who tried to jump. It was the first time the man's family, Willis, and Keeling met face-to-face.

"All I know is to say thank you all," said the man's sister Michelle Littlejohn.

Littlejohn shared that her brother struggled with his mental health, and it worsened after losing their mother in 2021. She added that police took her brother to Peace Hospital for treatment.

Littlejohn echoed that Keeling will forever be known in their family as the angel on the bridge.

"We can go for the rest of our lives and continue to say thank you, but we've definitely made a forever friend with both of them," Littlejohn said.

While the moment was about recognizing the quick and proactive thinking of Keeling and Willis, everyone involved shared that it is a reminder to check on people you love, and strangers.

"That's what we need. More people like that, and everybody get involved with each other's life," Littlejohn said.

"If we are following Jesus, like that's what it should look like. Love for each person, no matter where they're from, no matter what is in their past," Keeling said.

If you, or someone you know, are experiencing feelings of suicide, help is available. You can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or via live chat at 988lifeline.org, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

For resources available in Louisville, click here.

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