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Cook County Sergeant Describes Saving Suicidal Man In South Suburbs

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Cook County sheriff's police sergeant is talking about how he stopped a young man from jumping onto Interstate 80 from the Halsted overpass.

It was about 7:30 Monday evening, and Sergeant Michael Dwyer was driving in southern Cook County.

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"It looked like a person, sitting up over the lanes of traffic - in a very odd spot," he said.

Dwyer drove closer snd then got out of his vehicle.

"So I slowly walked up, trying to get closer. I got about three or four feet away and he started shaking his head... maybe motioning to stay away.

"And then he just kind of dove off to his left like... that was it.

"So I was able to run up, get a hold of him with my arms, grabbed him - I was able to pull him back over the rail onto the roadway, the abutment there."

Sergeant Dwyer says the man in his 20s struggled.

Not wanting to have been saved.

"The fact that this young man will have another opportunity to so something with his life - that's good enough for me."

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