LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville police are calling a local woman a hero after she stopped a man from jumping off the 2nd Street Bridge during her daily jog Sunday.
Body camera footage of the incident was released Monday afternoon 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 just as Detective 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.
According to police, "an angel" was out for her daily run when she came across the man and "did everything in her power" to prevent a stranger from attempting to jump off the bridge. Calling her a hero, LMPD said before officers arrived, she had already stopped the man from jumping once.
Willis exits his cruiser and as he approaches, tells them "It's OK, it's OK" as the woman walks toward the man, who is backing away. The man then puts his foot up on the railing in an attempt to climb over it. Willis runs toward them as the woman jumps on the man to pull him back from the railing.
"Please help me! Please help me!" the woman pleads as Willis helps her pull the man back. As he wrestles the man, Willis tells her to "reach on my radio right here. Press the button," guiding her to a button on his radio that acts as a "distress call" to notify dispatch to send more officers to help.
Within seconds, Willis yells for someone to help him. That's when the driver of a car in the northbound lanes, where traffic had come to a stop, who had just stepped out of his vehicle runs over and helps Willis get the man on the ground as other officers arrive on scene.
The man is then put in handcuffs as he lies on the sidewalk. In the social media post Monday, LMPD clarified that the man was put in handcuffs for safety reasons because he was in crisis. No one was injured, but police said the man was taken to a local hospital.
"It's important to note: The man was in crisis. He had an angel on the bridge that day that was just out for her daily run," LMPD said. "She didn't have to do anything. She could have jogged right passed and went about her day. Her character and morals are demonstrated with her willingness to get involved ... and save a life."
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