News : Police rescue man who had threatened to jump from Cedar River bridge

Area residents reported seeing the Highway 150 bridge closed and filled with the lights of emergency for a while shortly after nightfall on Sunday, as Vinton Police responded to a report of a person threatening to jump into the river from the bridge. Witnesses observed fire trucks blocking the bridge from traffic, and a Vinton Fire Department boat crew was among those responding. The Vinton Police Department has issued a press release on the incident; it appears in its entiretly below: On Sunday, November 5, 2017, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Vinton Police officers responded to a report of a suicidal adult male at a residence in Vinton. The male left the residence prior to officers' arrival and officers searched the area for him. At approximately 5:30 p.m., officers received a report of a male subject standing on the edge of the Highway 150 bridge over the Cedar River. Vinton Police officers arrived and found the subject sitting over the edge of the bridge and armed with a knife. Officers began negotiating with the male who had cut himself multiple times and repeatedly threatened to stab himself or jump off the bridge. The Highway 150 bridge was closed for approximately 45 minutes until officers convinced the subject to give up his knife and step back onto the bridge deck. The subject was transported by ambulance to an area hospital for treatment. The Vinton Police Department was assisted during this incident by the Benton County Sheriff's Office, the Vinton Fire Department, and North Benton Ambulance.