CHP crisis negotiators helped resolve Wednesday's Bay Bridge standoff: 'You need to build trust'
ABC7 News Bay Area
[{'start': '1.040', 'end': '4.400', 'text': "We're learning more about yesterday's"}, {'start': '2.639', 'end': '6.480', 'text': 'incident on the Bay Bridge, which'}, {'start': '4.400', 'end': '8.320', 'text': 'snarled traffic for hours. A man made'}, {'start': '6.480', 'end': '9.920', 'text': 'his way onto the western span. He was'}, {'start': '8.320', 'end': '12.080', 'text': 'climbing between the upper and lower'}, {'start': '9.920', 'end': '14.160', 'text': 'decks. ABC7 News reporter Cornell'}, {'start': '12.080', 'end': '16.160', 'text': "Bernard spoke with one of the CHP's lead"}, {'start': '14.160', 'end': '18.480', 'text': 'crisis negotiators about how that'}, {'start': '16.160', 'end': '20.400', 'text': 'incident was handled.'}, {'start': '18.480', 'end': '22.720', 'text': 'Many officers came out. The individual'}, {'start': '20.400', 'end': '24.960', 'text': 'was in crisis. A chaotic situation on'}, {'start': '22.720', 'end': '27.840', 'text': 'the Bay Bridge just before the Wednesday'}, {'start': '24.960', 'end': '30.000', 'text': 'evening commute. a man walking and'}, {'start': '27.840', 'end': '33.120', 'text': 'climbing on the outside of the span for'}, {'start': '30.000', 'end': '35.600', 'text': 'several hours. The individual was um you'}, {'start': '33.120', 'end': '37.360', 'text': 'know was on the side of the railing and'}, {'start': '35.600', 'end': '39.680', 'text': 'in this kind of situation it takes time'}, {'start': '37.360', 'end': '41.760', 'text': "right we don't want to rush anybody. CHP"}, {'start': '39.680', 'end': '44.239', 'text': 'Captain Elliot Johnson was on scene'}, {'start': '41.760', 'end': '46.239', 'text': 'acting as one of the crisis negotiators'}, {'start': '44.239', 'end': '48.559', 'text': 'communicating with the individual who'}, {'start': '46.239', 'end': '51.120', 'text': 'was experiencing a mental health crisis.'}, {'start': '48.559', 'end': '53.199', 'text': 'We had uh lengthy lengthy conversations'}, {'start': '51.120', 'end': '54.640', 'text': 'hearing this person out and the person'}, {'start': '53.199', 'end': '57.360', 'text': 'obviously just needed someone to talk'}, {'start': '54.640', 'end': '59.359', 'text': 'to. We um we are trained in crisis'}, {'start': '57.360', 'end': '60.960', 'text': 'intervention. Captain Johnson says for a'}, {'start': '59.359', 'end': '62.879', 'text': "time they couldn't see the man at all"}, {'start': '60.960', 'end': '65.360', 'text': 'because he was walking beneath the lower'}, {'start': '62.879', 'end': '67.119', 'text': 'deck. So they closed lanes on the north'}, {'start': '65.360', 'end': '69.119', 'text': 'and south side of the bridge as a'}, {'start': '67.119', 'end': '70.720', 'text': 'buffer, keeping center lanes open to'}, {'start': '69.119', 'end': '72.400', 'text': 'traffic. We want to build rapport with'}, {'start': '70.720', 'end': '74.000', 'text': "the individual and that's what we did."}, {'start': '72.400', 'end': '75.360', 'text': "Rapport takes time, right? They don't"}, {'start': '74.000', 'end': '76.880', 'text': "know us. They don't know they don't know"}, {'start': '75.360', 'end': '78.560', 'text': "me. They don't know the other officers"}, {'start': '76.880', 'end': '80.080', 'text': "or emergency personnel that's out there."}, {'start': '78.560', 'end': '82.400', 'text': 'And so you have to build trust. The'}, {'start': '80.080', 'end': '84.240', 'text': 'standoff ending peacefully after 700'}, {'start': '82.400', 'end': '86.159', 'text': 'p.m. with a man willingly leaving the'}, {'start': '84.240', 'end': '88.240', 'text': 'bridge and taken to a mental health'}, {'start': '86.159', 'end': '90.720', 'text': 'facility. But the damage was done for'}, {'start': '88.240', 'end': '92.320', 'text': 'thousands of commuters stuck in traffic.'}, {'start': '90.720', 'end': '94.400', 'text': 'People sounding off with their'}, {'start': '92.320', 'end': '95.920', 'text': 'frustrations on social media.'}, {'start': '94.400', 'end': '98.479', 'text': 'Ultimately, we were able to assist this'}, {'start': '95.920', 'end': '100.000', 'text': 'individual. It took some time. Um, and I'}, {'start': '98.479', 'end': '101.759', 'text': 'know traffic was definitely impacted,'}, {'start': '100.000', 'end': '103.920', 'text': 'but it took time. We were able to get'}, {'start': '101.759', 'end': '107.040', 'text': "the person off the bridge. There's going"}, {'start': '103.920', 'end': '109.439', 'text': 'to be no way up there anytime soon. Find'}, {'start': '107.040', 'end': '111.119', 'text': 'another way home. In 2023, there was a'}, {'start': '109.439', 'end': '113.200', 'text': 'similar situation on the Richmond San'}, {'start': '111.119', 'end': '116.079', 'text': 'Rafale Bridge where a man refused to'}, {'start': '113.200', 'end': '118.399', 'text': 'come off the span for 17 hours. He too'}, {'start': '116.079', 'end': '120.399', 'text': 'was suffering a mental health episode.'}, {'start': '118.399', 'end': '122.399', 'text': 'Traffic was impacted as far as San'}, {'start': '120.399', 'end': '124.320', 'text': 'Francisco. First responders say'}, {'start': '122.399', 'end': '126.560', 'text': 'preventing these situations are nearly'}, {'start': '124.320', 'end': '128.479', 'text': 'impossible, but negotiating a safe'}, {'start': '126.560', 'end': '130.319', 'text': 'ending is always the goal. Ended'}, {'start': '128.479', 'end': '132.720', 'text': "peacefully. I'm very excited about that."}, {'start': '130.319', 'end': '134.879', 'text': 'In San Francisco, Cornell Bernard, ABC7'}, {'start': '132.720', 'end': '134.879', 'text': 'News.'}]