Detective Prevents Suicide

Thu., May 25, 1995

From Staff And Wire Reports

A police detective pulled a suicidal man from the railing of a Spokane bridge this week.

Detective Mark Burbridge pulled the man to safety Tuesday afternoon on a bridge over the Spokane River at 1100 E. Trent, according to Spokane police.

The man was sitting on the bridge railing with both feet over the edge when patrol officer Jon D. Anderson arrived.

The man refused to talk to Anderson, who was in uniform.

Burbridge, however, was in plain clothes. Acting as though he was ignoring the man, Burbridge walked toward him, grabbed him, then pulled him from the railing to the sidewalk.

The man was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center for a mental evaluation.

Police at the scene found a suicide note addressed to the man’s wife in his bag along with his wallet.

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