PSNI officer foils suicide bid

A police motorcyclist dramatically foiled an attempted suicide today by seizing a man as he tried to leap from a multi-storey building in Belfast.

The constable clung on, despite cracking his head on concrete, until other emergency services arrived to bring the would-be jumper down to safety.

Senior officers praised his courage in stopping someone from plunging to their death.

Chief Inspector Chris Noble said: “His quick thinking and bravery saved the life of this individual.”

The officer was on patrol when he was alerted to a man on the roof of the high rise Russell Court office block on the Lisburn Road, south Belfast.

He immediately went up in a bid to keep him occupied until mediators could arrive on the scene.

But with only fire and ambulance staff there to back him up, the constable’s initial plans were scrapped as the man started to climb over the ledge.

He dived after him and grabbed hold of a leg.

“Attempts were made to speak with the individual and calm him down, but it appeared he was intent on jumping off the edge of the building,” Mr Noble added.

“The single police officer, assessing that he was about to throw himself off, quickly moved towards him and pulled him back from over the edge of the building.

“He was then assisted by paramedics and fire service colleagues.

“In the course of that the officer sustained a number of injuries.”

The man who tried to commit suicide is understood to have been taken to hospital for treatment of any possible mental health problems.