SHARE

'Don't Shoot Me!' Suicidal Westchester Man At GWB Rail Shouts At Police

FORT LEE, N.J. -- An emotionally distraught Westchester man leaning over the railing on the upper level of the George Washington Bridge shouted "Don't shoot me!" when police approached Tuesday afternoon, then threatened to jump if they got any closer, authorities said.

The GWB.

The GWB.

Photo Credit: Jerry DeMarco

The "highly irritated" 42-year-old Elmsford, N.Y. man" kept screaming those words and kept offices at bay before they eventually took him into custody without further incident at about 12:30 p.m., the Port Authority's Joseph Pentangelo told Daily Voice.

He was taken by ambulance to Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus.

It was another in a series of interventions by Port Authority police -- nearly five dozen in all so far this year.

Officers all receive special training in dealing with would-be jumpers. Some were attending a class, in fact, as Tuesday's drama was unfolding.

Last Thursday, they kept a distraught 17-year-old Teaneck girl from jumping.

Less than a week earlier, they found a man headed for the span to jump in a Fort Lee park nearby. Like the teen, he was hospitalized.

Last month, officers tackled a suicidal 17-year-old Princeton University prep student -- who'd tried killing herselt twice before -- as she ran to the railing of the GWB looking to jump. She, too, was taken to an area hospital.

to follow Daily Voice Pleasantville and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE