Police and fire work together to stop a suicide
By Terry Murry on Saturday, January 9th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – Walla Walla police officers were dispatched to a report of a suicidal subject who was threatening to kill himself. They managed to save the man, who was intent on taking h is life by hanging himself off a balcony on a Whitman College building.
The call came in at 11 a.m. today (Saturday) and family members said the person had already left the house, bent on committing suicide. Shortly thereafter, police were dispatched to the area at Penrose and Isaacs for a man with a rope around his neck on the balcony of a building.
“Officers arrived on scene and started to try and talk the subject down off the ledge and remove the rope,” a news release from Public Information Officer Gunner Fulmer states. “Crises negotiators and fire department were called to assist and while officers spoke with the subject, one officer and fire captain were able to sneak up in the building and get closer to the subject.”
Fulmer reports that the subject took the rope off his neck to adjust it which gave the officer and captain the opportunity to intervene. The suicidal man was tackled, detained, and transported to the hospital for further care.
“Our police and fire (departments) in Walla Walla have always had a great working relationship and this just shows how good we can work together for the public,” the release states.
