When a man threatening to leap to his death from a bridge in West Harlem on Oct. 5 was rescued after a 40-minute standoff, responding Officer Carl Fayette fell to his knees and wept uncontrollably—a side of the police department not often seen but all caught on body-worn cameras.
“Life is priceless, life is precious, there’s nothing more than life,” Fayette told amNewYork Metro almost three weeks after the harrowing incident. “It brings joy knowing that somebody is able to live and see tomorrow.”
Fayette and fellow cop Eleodoro Mata responded to the Riverside Drive overpass during the late afternoon to discover that a man suffering a mental health crisis had scaled the protective fencing, looking to end his life. Knowing that the situation could end in tragedy at any moment, the officers attempted to keep him calm and talk him away from the edge.
“I spoke to him and asked him what his name was,” Mara recalled. “My biggest fear was that he might fall. I saw that he was losing strength. He was a little wobbly, shaking a little bit.”
In a dramatic display of composure and resilience, bodycam footage showed the cops talking to the jumper for over 40 minutes, something the pair say felt like an eternity at the time. Throughout the nail-biting footage, Fayette could be heard pleading with the distraught individual, repeating: “I love you, I love you. You have got this, listen to my voice. I love you.”
As the officers gently engaged the man, offering him services, NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit (ESU) cut into the fence, climbing onto the edge themselves. Shimmying along, the specialized team managed to grab the jumper, ensuring his safety.
The second he was secure, Fayette took a few steps away from the scene before falling to his knees and unleashing a flood of tears. For Fayette, it was a moment of relief that the person would see another day and receive psychological treatment.
“I was very relieved at that moment,” Fayette said.
On Oct. 24, the two officers returned to the bridge where they saved the life, pointing out where the fence had to be replaced after ESU had to cut into it. Fayette and Mata stood in the afternoon sun, peering through the fence and recalling a moment that could have ended in tragedy but instead ended with a life saved.
“The only word that comes to mind for me is relief, relief that it turned out okay for him and everybody involved,” Mata said. “Knowing that he’s out there that he’s, he’s fighting, makes me feel good,” Mata said.
