Toms River Police Coax Man Down From Route 37 Bridge Railing

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River police officers convinced a man to safely climb down from the railing of the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge on Monday evening, the police department said.

Police were called to the Route 37 bridge at 5:06 p.m. after multiple reports of a man sitting on the railing facing the water, said Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department.

Sgt. Frank Lauria, Cpl. Paul Burkhardt and Officers Nicholas Franco and Brian O'Leary arrived and kept the man talking until Detectives Robert O'Neill and Louis Santora, who are trained negotiators, got to the scene.

Eventually the detectives and officers convinced the man to voluntarily come down from the railing. He was taken to Community Medical Center for further treatment, Messina said.

The Tunney Bridge was closed briefly during the incident, and the New Jersey State Police Marine Unit and Toms River Fire responded on the water as well.

This article has been updated to correct the name of one of the officers involved in the incident.

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