On Wednesday July 10, 2013, East Precinct officers responded to the report of a man climbing over the railing of the Northeast Glisan Street/I-205 overpass and that it appeared the man was about to jump off of the bridge to the freeway below.
Officer Tyrone Willard, a 7-year-veteran of the Police Bureau, arrived and saw the 61-year-old man standing outside the bridge railing over the southbound lanes of I-205. Officer Willard noticed a woman pleading with the man not to jump. Officer Willard attempted to begin a conversation with the man but the man let go of the railing and leaned forward, beginning to fall towards the freeway.
Officer Willard grabbed onto his arm and tried to pull the man back from falling. Officer Willard yelled to Officer William Johnson, a 19-year-veteran who just arrived at the scene, to help pull the man back over the railing. Both officers were able to pull the man over the railing to safety.
The woman pleading with the man not to jump was merely a passerby and did not know the man.
