Stillwater Police Stop Attempted Suicide

Photo Credit Stillwater Newspress

Stillwater Police Department has issued the following news release:

(Stillwater, Oklahoma / 03-22-2021) – Monday, March 15, 2021, at 5:25 p.m., Stillwater Police Officers Kurt Merrill and Damian Neiswanger were dispatched to the 5th level of the parking garage at 251 West Miller.

The officers responded to a report of a male sitting on top of a concrete pillar of parking lot railing. When officers arrived, they located a white male, later identified as a 21-year-old OSU Student.

The male was sitting on the corner pillar of the railing, facing away from the parking lot. His feet were dangling over the edge of the pillar, and he was in a precarious position.

The officers cautiously approached the male while trying to engage him in conversation. It quickly became evident to the officers that the male was in a mental health crisis and was contemplating jumping from the 5th story parking garage.

As the officers moved closer to the male to try and convince him to move back into the parking lot and speak with them, the male set his phone down and moved his body forward several inches, indicating he was getting ready to jump.

Officer Neiswanger continued to try and reason with the male while Officer Merrill moved forward to close the distance between him and the male.

As the male placed his hands onto the area where he was seated to push himself forward, Officer Merrill lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the male.

Officer Merrill quickly pulled the male to safety. The male received minor abrasions to his legs due to being pulled off the railing but was otherwise uninjured.

These two Stillwater Police Officers’ actions saved a young man’s life and kept his family and friends from grieving the loss of a loved one. The entire incident was captured on Officer Neiswanger’s car camera and his body mic.