Des Plaines police stop man from jumping off I-90 overpass

Three Des Plaines police officers are being credited with preventing a man from killing himself by jumping off an interstate overpass.

Officers Richard Niznik and Alfonso Galvan and Sgt. John Hutson were given the city's lifesaving award this week after they recently responded to reports of a man standing near a concrete barrier on the Interstate 90 overpass at Elmhurst Road.

Niznik started talking to the man, who placed one leg over the barrier wall, police said. As their conversation continued, Niznik learned that the man suffered from PTSD and other mental disorders, police said.

Hutson then suggested the man call a loved one and put a cellphone on the ground in the middle of the roadway. As the man walked toward the phone, all three officers tackled him and restrained him, police said.

The man was taken to the hospital for evaluation. While there, he reportedly told the doctor that he would have jumped off the overpass if the officers hadn't intervened, police said.

"Officer Niznik, Officer Galvan, and Sgt. Hutson displayed exceptional tactical and communication skills to defuse a rapid, tense and evolving situation," Police Chief Bill Kushner said in a statement. "Their dedication to the preservation of life brings great credit to them and the Des Plaines Police Department."