Brandon police officer talks teen off bridge after he 'hit rock bottom'
A Brandon, Man., police officer is being saluted for helping a teen who had "hit rock bottom" and was looking down from the edge of a bridge.
Early Monday morning, the police service got a call from a foster parent who said a 17-year-old boy in her care had left home after making suicidal comments, the police service said in a news release. The woman told police she believed the boy might be headed to the nearby Daly Overpass.
The actions of Sgt. Dupuis (the Brandon Police Service wouldn't provide his first name) "averted what could have been a tragic event," the news release said.
Dupuis began searching the area near the teen's foster home, then drove to the overpass, where he saw the boy leaning on the railing, staring at the railroad tracks below.
"I don't know if he even knew I was stopped on the bridge at that point," Dupuis said in a description of the encounter released by the police service Thursday morning.
"I exited the cruiser and called out his name. He looked back at me and when I saw the look on his face, I knew instantly this was not a cry for attention but rather a kid who needed help. He was clearly upset and had a look of defeat."
Dupuis told the teen "I know you don't want to do this," but the boy told him no one cares and no one would miss him.
"I asked him to climb over the barrier [separating the sidewalk from the road] and talk to me on the road. He didn't want to do that," Dupuis said. "I then asked him to continue to focus on me and we could figure this out together. I heard a member attempting to contact me on the radio, asking if we should shut traffic down on the bridge. I chose not to answer the radio and keep all my attention on the subject. I wanted to make it clear to him that I was there to listen to what he had to say."
The teen told him it would be easiest if he just jumped off, Dupuis recounted in the news release.
"I explained that if he makes that decision, there is no coming back from it," he said.
"Right now you have control over your options, if you jump off there are no more options that you can control," Dupuis told the teen. "You could die, or you could end up paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the rest of your life, and you can't control that outcome."
The teen told Dupuis he was was on a court-ordered curfew and was worried about getting in trouble for breaching it.
"I told him that we weren't here for the breach and we were there to help him. I further stated that we could discuss the breach once he climbed over the barrier," Dupuis wrote.
The teen had a shoebox with him that was sitting on the sidewalk, and Dupuis asked if he could take a look. The teen didn't want to hand it to Dupuis, so he rested it on the barrier and Dupuis retrieved it.
The box had personal items and memorabilia, Dupuis said.
"I told him once again that I know he didn't want to do this and to just climb over and we could begin to get him the help he needs. At that point he climbed over the barrier."
The teen was taken into Dupuis's car, safely returned home … and not charged.
"We decided not charge him with the curfew breach," the news release said. "We felt that would be an inappropriate response to this situation.
"He did not breach to go party or hang out with friends, he breached his curfew because he hit rock bottom."
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, these resources are available:
