Syracuse Police save man from committing suicide
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After the news of Daniel Prude's death at the hands of Rochester police officers, many are asking whether police officers should be responding to people in mental distress. Syracuse police officers recently stopped a man from committing suicide, and they credit a training course that they took through their police department.
On Wednesday afternoon while patrolling the Northside, Officers James Pastorello, Joe Tolone and Mitchell Anthony learned there was a man on the roof of a building on Genant Drive talking to his counselor. He was making suicidal remarks and threatening to jump.
Tolone says he was able to get the man’s attention and connect with him over the phone. He says he credits a crisis intervention class he took eight months ago.
“It’s just really big on being able to slow things down and just de-escalate,” he says. “It was great and it has helped me immensely.”
The three officers say they’re proud to be part of the rescue and grateful that their work saved someone’s life.
Tolone and Pastorello also saved a woman from jumping off a bridge over Interstate 81 in May.
