In a gripping incident captured on police bodycam footage, NYPD officers Eleodoro Mata and Carl Fayette successfully rescued a man on the brink of suicide from a New York City bridge.
Officer Mata's comforting words to the man, "Were here for you. Everybodys here for you. Were gonna help you," echo throughout the 40-minute video, reflecting the officers' commitment to saving the man's life. The NYPD has lauded both officers for their roles in the tense rescue, which culminated in the man's safe retrieval by emergency services officers, much to the relief of the gathered crowd.
Officer Fayette, in a bid to connect with the man, can be heard saying, "Life is beautiful, brother," as the man teetered on the edge of the bridge. He implored the man not to give up, saying, "You are beautiful, brother please don't give up on me."
In a poignant moment, Fayette revealed to the man that he had once found himself in a similar predicament. "I've been in your shoes, man," he confessed. "It's not worth itthere are solutions." He assured the man that there was a way out of his current crisis.
Following the successful rescue, Fayette is seen retreating from the ledge, visibly shaken. He crouches beside a squad car, his face buried in his hands, before breaking down in tears.
The NYPD, in a statement shared on X, acknowledged the often challenging nature of police work. "Police officers frequently interact with people having the worst day of their lives," the statement read. "Two weeks ago, Officers Fayette & Mata talked to a distraught man in crisis for nearly 40 minutes until ESU officers rescued him."
Both officers are part of the NYPD's 26th Precinct. Their commander, prior to the public release of the bodycam footage, commended them on X for their empathy and dedication. "They spoke to the man with genuine empathy to let him know they cared and that help was available, & with the assistance of our @NYPDSpecialops, they got him help," he wrote.
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