Key Bridge Closed, Fire and EMS Respond to Jumper Tuesday Night
The Key Bridge was closed to both inbound and outbound traffic for several hours Tuesday night.
Photos
Final Update 9:15 p.m.
Police spent about three hours Tuesday evening dealing with a man who was threatening to jump off of the Key Bridge in Georgetown. Police closed the Key Bridge in both directions and several roads leading to the bridge during the peak of the rush hour Tuesday.
Eventually, police were able to convince the man not to jump and took him into custody.
Updated 7:50 p.m.
The Key Bridge has re-opened and all street closures are over. The man is now in police custody, according to police.
Updated 6:38 p.m.
A man is still threatening to jump off of the Key Bridge in Georgetown, according to Metropolitan Police Department Public Information Officer Paul Metcalf.
Traffic is snarled throughout Georgetown.
Updated 5:55 p.m.
The Metropolitan Police Department has shut down all westbound traffic on K Street at 25th and 27th Streets.
Updated 5:35 p.m.
DC Fire and EMS and the Metropolitan Police Department are on the scene of a jumper at the Key Bridge.
The Key Bridge is closed to all traffic.
Traffic is being diverted eastbound on M Street to Pennsylvania Avenue and westbound M Street to Canal Road NW. According to police, the Whitehurst Freeway and 27th and K Street NW are also being shut down.
"Motorists expect major delays on M St, NW," according to tweet sent from the official MPD Twitter account.
DC Fire and EMS Batallion Chief Brian Lee confirmed that his agency has units on the scene, but he said they were not able to confirm if there was, in fact, a jumper.
Tweets sent from the official MPD Twitter account advise drivers to "Avoid the area" and that the "Key Bridge is closed until further notice."
According to MPD Public Information Officer Paul Metcalf, the call came in at 4:42 p.m. and MPD, DC Fire and EMS and the DC Harbor Patrol have responded.
Patch will provide updates as more information becomes available.
RNM
6:21 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
https://twitter.com/DCTDispatcher/status/288764356555059200/photo/1
Just in case anyone wants to see the face of the man who shut down Georgetown and beyond. I do wonder, what the cost of it is? Add in the cost of people on the scene, the lost time of the people tied up in traffic, the loss of businesses which will see a massive drop off in shoppers and diners this evening. In the end, it would be interesting what the total cost of trying (since as of this writing we don't know the end) to save a mans life. If that same guy was begging on the street...would any of us spend a dime? Just a thought.
lroy65
8:04 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Really? Your sitting at home, searching the web for a photo and complaining about the inconvenience? If a human being contemplates suicide or any act of violence, they are clearly suffering from mental health issues and need help. You should be grateful to the Police, Fire Department and Medical people who are on the bridge helping him. Be kind, whether it's a stranger in distress or hungry neighbor on the street.
RNM
10:32 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Iroy65...I believe strongly in the right of an individual to control their own life. Want to crawl over the fence on the bridge and jump to your death, as odd as I think it may be I support that ultimate right of self control. Life is ultimately cost benefit analysis. Is the life of a person hanging off a bridge worth a dime, sure...how about a trillion dollars that could be used to save countless other lives? Somewhere between a dime and a trillion is the value that triage of humanity places on life. The passed out stranger on the street gets help, as Reagan signed it into law and recently re-codified in the ACA. The person who hangs out on the edge of a bridge thinking about jumping and (granted not by his choice) ties up the rest of society in his issues gets less. His rights end where ours begin. Kind to a person sure, but also respect the individual enough to let them end their life or live their life as they see fit.
RK
7:17 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
@RNM
What a disgusting, apathetic, vile thing to write. Clearly you don't value human life.
RNM
10:37 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
I love when people who live in a world where the atrocities that exist in and out of our country throw down the not value human life guantlet. I value human life, just not all equally. I am not afraid to admit it. I value the lives of my family more than a friend, a friend more than a neighbor, a neighbor more than a stranger in my town and so on up to the half dozen people who have died around the world while I typed this. Honestly, I feel for the person who is so tied up with the loss of every human life on the planet.
Steve Dingledine
7:31 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
RNM, bad day at the office? Please don't take it out on your poor dog!
Kaitlin Standish
8:51 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
@RNM I think that is interesting to consider. @everyone else...it's a fair point to say few people would give as much time/attention willingly to others in need of help or with mental health issues e.g. homeless, pan-handlers, etc. And frankly, at this point we know he didn't jump so it's a case of attention-seeking selfishness if you ask me. No reason to glorify, justify, or encourage suicide attempts. Maybe take a moment to consider people in our lives who might be reaching out in more subtle ways for help before anything gets to this point,
RNM
10:42 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Not at all, fine day and don't have an office or a dog, two cats and they don't care about human by nature (cat joke). Just, think it is sad that we as a society slam to a halt because a guy climbed over a fence. Note to potential terrorists, want to create a sitting duck society, just get a few guys willing to play the part of a jumper and the city coud be gridlocked while all sorts of nefarious actions happen.
DPR
11:48 am on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
somehow I knew you are a cat person