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NYPD Officers Pull Woman to Safety From Brooklyn Bridge Cables

The department released body-worn camera footage that shows ESU officers negotiating on the cables as they climbed to secure the woman.

Overview

  • Officers from the NYPD Emergency Service Unit climbed onto the Brooklyn Bridge cables and rescued a woman who threatened to jump during a standoff that lasted nearly an hour on Wednesday.
  • The NYPD released bodycam video and Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the ESU for its ‘‘care, courage, and compassion,’’ making the footage the main new detail in coverage of the incident.
  • Body-worn footage shows officers speaking calmly to the woman while harnessed on the structure, then seizing a brief chance to grab her and pull her to safety.
  • Eastbound lanes toward Brooklyn were closed during the rescue and reopened around 10 p.m., Emergency Medical Services took the woman to a hospital for evaluation, there were no reported injuries or arrests, and the investigation remains open.
  • Reports in some outlets say the woman may have a history of mental-health issues but that has not been officially confirmed, and the episode follows other recent high-profile illegal climbs that have raised scrutiny of public-safety risks and police responses.