Update: EB West Seattle Bridge reopens after half-hour closure

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
6:47 PM: You can’t take the high bridge eastbound right now – it’s closed. There is a police situation at the high-rise. More as we get it. 7:01 PM UPDATE: The person police were dealing with at the high rise is now described on the scanner as “in custody/under control.” So the situation should be wrapping up – we are going back to 35th/Fauntleroy to see if the bridge is open again yet. (7:03: It’s not.) 7:12 PM: Police are saying on the scanner that they are “ready to open everything up.” 7:17 PM: If you’re waiting to go somewhere, note that there’s some residual backup from this, even though the bridge is open again – we are on Harbor Avenue right now and the bridge-bound backup stretches as far as Salty’s. 7:29 PM: Adding a photo from a distance of the police presence that was still on the bridge just before it reopened to traffic. 8:46 PM: One last note – we checked with Det. Mark Jamieson from the SPD Media Unit, and he did confirm that police negotiators safely talked the person into “coming back in”; they were headed to the hospital for an evaluation.

Matt April 18, 2010 (6:52 pm)

I saw an elderly man walking up the high-rise just before the bridge was closed…….

Stephanie April 18, 2010 (6:53 pm)

What’s going on? It looks like someone jumped/is jumping?!

Cynthia April 18, 2010 (6:58 pm)

I drove by westbound and on the eastbound side was a man sitting on the railing looking as if he was planning on jumping. The police were just arriving on scene as I drove past. I hope they can help this guy.

WSB April 18, 2010 (6:59 pm)

We know they were talking to someone. Wouldn’t speculate on their intention until and unless we had it confirmed, which we don’t. The person police were dealing with is “in custody/under control” according to the scanner, so this should be wrapping up shortly.

Logan April 18, 2010 (7:01 pm)

just drove by theres someone at the top looking to jump spd is with him now hope he makes it safley

Curtis April 18, 2010 (7:01 pm)

Just crossed westbound. Saw an officer pushing a motorcycle. No aid units. Several police.

Ande April 18, 2010 (7:04 pm)

Went by on the bus heading westbound. I could see the police were trying to talk a man out of jumping off the bridge. He was standing at the edge of the bridge looking over the edge. Police were in negotiations. Although sounds like all is ok now. No jumper.

bdc2000 April 18, 2010 (7:14 pm)

Scanner reports West Seattle Bridge was just opened back up.

westseattledrew April 18, 2010 (7:15 pm)

Traffic is flowing now. 7:13

alki resident April 18, 2010 (9:02 pm)

Great job to you negotiators.Pray for the man that needs help.

Laurie April 18, 2010 (9:35 pm)

I second that thought, alki resident.

ad April 18, 2010 (11:04 pm)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/91436844.html

Commenters speculate that suicide from the WS Bridge will go up when the Aurora Bridge puts up a new barrier to make it more difficult to jump.

WSB April 18, 2010 (11:36 pm)

And somebody said that on our Facebook page (we post breaking news there too and on Twitter).
http://facebook.com/westseattleblog
Really, this is a lousy topic about which to speculate. Suicide is a deadly symptom of mental illness, and if it wasn’t swept under the rug, or if its potential victims weren’t described cavalierly as “jumpers,” we might make some progress. I didn’t allude to that being potentially the situation until I had confirmation from police afterward.
.
BTW I forgot to include the Crisis Line: 206-461-3222

Andrew April 19, 2010 (9:43 am)

Does anyone know if there was an incident on the bridge at 1:00 am Sunday morning? A vehicle (SUV) was stopped near the apex of the bridge with hazards on, but parked diagonally in the far right, westbound lane?