Officer helps prevent man from jumping off bridge with hug, police say

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) - Authorities in Connecticut are sharing an officer’s actions that they say helped save a man’s life.

On Thursday, the New Haven Police Department released information regarding a situation on Jan. 13 where officers responded to a man who was threatening to jump off the Ferry Street Bridge.

The department said Officer Wityak was one of the officers who were called to the scene.

Wityak spoke to the man in distress and used his crisis intervention skills to convince him to seek help at the hospital, according to the department.

Connecticut authorities said it was an emotional encounter for the officer and the man, but it ended with the two of them hugging.