St. Paul Police Chief Helps Pull Woman Threatening To Jump From Bridge

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — St. Paul's police chief and another officer have rescued a woman who was threatening to jump from a bridge.

Chief Todd Axtell was heading to police headquarters about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when he heard a call about a woman about to jump from Robert Street Bridge.

Axtell was about two blocks away and headed to the bridge. He found Officer Frank Judge talking to the woman. The chief says he made eye contact with Judge, and the two worked to pull the woman to safety.

On the ground, Axtell says he held the woman to comfort her "like I would if she was my own child."

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Axtell witnessed a domestic assault and detained the suspect as he was heading to work in February 2017.