Cartersville Officer Talks Down Man Threatening Suicide

An officer with the Cartersville Police Department was able to prevent a man from jumping to his death Tuesday afternoon. 

Officers with the agency responded to a call around 1:25 p.m. July 22 regarding a man threatening to commit suicide by jumping from the Church Street bridge in the city. 

Cartersville Police Chief Thomas Culpepper said officers arrived onto the scene and discovered Jason Gay, 37, of Cartersville standing over the railing on the ledge of the bridge. 
 
Fellow Cartersville officers, deputies with the Bartow County Sheriff's Office and Bartow County Fire and EMS personnel also assisted with blocking the streets and the bridge from public access. 

Cartersville Police Captain Mark Camp, who is trained in hostage negotiations, established communications with Gay while he stood on the ledge of the bridge. 

Camp was able to convince Gay to allow him to come up onto the bridge to talk. 

After about one hour, Camp was also able to convince the man to step back over the rail and onto the street. 

"At this time Capt. Camp was able to get close enough to Mr. Gay to eventually rush Mr. Gay and tackle him," Culpepper added.

Other officers rushed in to help and took Gay into custody without further incident. 

Gay was transported to Cartersville Medical Center for evaluation. Culpepper said his agency plans to charge Gay with obstruction.