Pueblo officer talks man off of bridge ledge

A camera was rolling when a Pueblo Police officer convinced a man not to jump from the Union Avenue bridge.

The incident happened on Wednesday, April 9, 2014.

A police department spokesperson says that at 11:46 a.m., officer Christopher Alarid was contacted by two city workers about a man dangerously sitting on the rail of the Union Avenue bridge with his legs hanging over the edge.

The man was sitting on the edge of the bridge getting ready to jump when officer Alarid arrived.

Police say the unidentified 38-year-old man was emotional and told officer Alarid that he didn’t want to be here anymore.

Over the next 15 minutes Officer Alarid was able to gain the man’s trust and calm him down. With the help of other officers, they were able to secure a cigarette from a bystander and the man agreed to come back over the railing where they continued to talk. The man was eventually taken to a facility for additional help.