The way things are going and given the lack of complete credibility regarding the propaganda pre$$, one wonders if this was a Jade Helm drill, no?
"How police talked a man down from the Tobin Bridge" by Steve Annear Globe Staff June 11, 2015
The wind was calm atop the Tobin Bridge on Wednesday night as a man dangled, at times, from the steel rafters of the aging span.
But things were hectic nearly 100 feet below, as members of the Massachusetts State Police Crisis Negotiations team assembled at the scene. Cars were zipping by, and the structure would become crowded with emergency vehicles, lights flashing as the sun began to set over Boston.
Sergeant Byron Rizos and his crew knew they had to take advantage of every second in order to convince the man to descend from the tip of the metal structure. First, they had to quiet things down.
Officers diverted traffic away from the upper deck and began to coordinate with the first emergency workers who had arrived at the scene.
“Once we had the bridge flushed of traffic, it got calmer for everyone involved. At that point, when it was nice and calm, we shut down the heavy equipment, and the cruiser lights and fire department lights, so it wouldn’t distract him,” Rizos said.
After assembling a makeshift headquarters, Rizos and his team went into detective mode, tracking down the man’s identity and reaching out to his relatives.
Police were able to get the man on the phone, as he clung to the bridge. While talking with him, officers developed a good rapport, and sought to carry on a conversation that would keep the man engaged.
Yup. The negotiators and such a positive roll model for other police across the nation, huh? Is that the point of this cops-are-great propaganda?
I mean don't get me wrong; I trust local authority more than any state or federal agency or it's political slaves and pre$$ mouthpieces.
“After talking with family members, we can use what’s going on in his life to see what the problem is, and how we can get relief,” Rizos said. “It’s stressful and nerve-wracking, but if we can keep him talking we can deal with the situation better.”
Police would not discuss details about what was said over the phone.
Rizos said the phone calls are the most difficult part of the job. He said officers, although highly trained, have to stay sharp and focused.
Statewide, there are 21 State Police negotiators who handle crisis situations like suicide attempts and standoffs. The officers go through 40 hours of basic hostage negotiation training and take an advanced class taught by the FBI. On top of that, they train monthly with a special weapons team.
“You have to have your A game on. You’re trying to save that guy’s life, and at the end of the day, you want to bring that guy down safely,” he said.
There were moments Wednesday night that the man, whom police did not identify, hung an arm or a leg over the side of the structure, or even hung up the phone on police.
But even under extreme pressure, officers kept their cool and reconnected with him quickly.
After more than two hours of back-and-forth — at times the negotiators relied on a bullhorn to shout up to the top of the bridge — the man finally came down.
He was taken into custody before being transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Rizos was pleased with the outcome, and proud of how his team carried out the lifesaving response.
“It’s sort of hard to describe, because you’re not always confident until he’s touching the ground and you see him face to face,” Rizos said. “But it’s a relief when he is down.”
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Turns out he was upset about the tickets.
