"She was hysterical:" Milwaukee police officers save woman from jumping off bridge
Milwaukee police officers save woman from jumping off bridge
Milwaukee police officers save woman from jumping off bridge
MILWAUKEE -- Two Milwaukee police officers are being praised for saving a woman's life. She was clinging to the railing of a bridge near N. 35th and Canal Street when they arrived. The officers say the woman was probably 75-80 feet above the ground, and was threatening to end her life.
"I thought she was going to jump. She was hysterical," said Katie Anderer.
As they approached a woman on the 35th Street viaduct, Officers Katie Anderer and Charles Seelow knew they had to be cautious.
"When I talked to her she said that she was on the phone with her boyfriend, saying goodbye and that she was going to jump," said Anderer.
The woman was sitting on the railing, her feet dangling over the edge, holding onto a pole.
"You don't know 100% if they really want to jump or if they're just crying out for help," said Seelow.
Officer Charles Seelow
Officer Anderer approached her from one side...
"I tried to talk to her," said Anderer.
While Officer Seelow approached her carefully from behind.
"If you scare them, there wasn't much room for error," said Seelow.
When the woman loosened her grip on the pole, Seelow knew he needed to step in.
Officer Katie Anderer
"I was able to bear hug her if you will, and pull her onto the sidewalk," said Seelow.
"When we took her off the ledge she said, 'I'm tired and I don't want to do this anymore,'" said Anderer.
The woman was taken to Frodtert Hospital, and from there the Milwaukee County Mental Health Center for evaluation.
"We reassured her that we were there to help her. We weren't there to get her in any trouble. Just because we're the police, we're not going to take her to jail, make sure she gets the help she needs," said Seelow.
"I'm glad everything turned out the way that it did," said Anderer.
Both officers had received crisis interview training which they say helped them in this situation. They say the woman expressed gratitude that they stopped her from jumping.