From the Franklin County Sheriff's office page:
On December 2, 2018 at approximately 6:18 a.m., Deputy William Ball, who is a Crisis Intervention Tactics trained deputy, was on routine patrol in the area of Georgesville Road and Interstate 270, when he witnessed a male looking over the wall of the overpass. Deputy Ball quickly backed up, exited his cruiser and approached the male. Deputy Ball attempted to get the male subject away from the wall by engaging him in conversation. The male then began to open up and talk with Deputy Ball about feelings he was having about wanting to harm himself. The male then suddenly began walking towards Deputy Ball stating that he would have to shoot him to get him to stop from jumping.
The male then went back towards the wall, and was heard yelling, “I’m sorry, I got nothing left; I’m just done” as he attempted to jump over the wall. Deputy Ball was able to grab ahold of the subject’s legs and pull him back onto the roadway when the subject began resisting. After a struggle that lasted for several seconds, Deputy Ball was able to get the male away from the wall and under control.
The male was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation and is not being named at this time.
We would also like to thank the two civilians who stopped and assisted before backup arrived. This incident is an excellent example of how CIT trained deputies are making a difference when it comes to those who are in a mental health crisis.