Police officer saves woman who tried to hang herself in Paterson park

PATERSON — City police Capt. Steven Rooney saved the life of a young woman attempting to hang herself in a Paterson park by grabbing her dangling legs and hoisting her atop his shoulders, law enforcement sources said.

Rooney then enlisted the help of a man who had been fishing nearby, getting the good Samaritan to climb up the tree and break the branch that held the rope with the noose around the woman’s neck, police sources said.

“We are extremely proud of the work of Capt. Steve Rooney assisted by a good Samaritan and responding members of the Paterson Police Department to save the life of a person experiencing a mental health crisis,” state-appointed Paterson police Officer in Charge Isa Abbassi said in a written statement.

“This incident highlights the work our first responders do in our communities and the need to shine a light on mental health and crisis response,” Abbassi said.

He did not provide details of the incident, which happened Friday afternoon. Law enforcement sources gave Paterson Press their accounts of what occurred.

Photo on social media showing rope

The dramatic rescue was set in motion when someone came across a photo on social media showing the rope strung up like a noose from a tree in a wooded area in Paterson, sources said. At first, authorities thought the photo was taken near the Great Falls.

Rooney, who oversees the emergency response team, then went to check the riverbank in nearby Pennington Park, sources said. Rooney found the woman’s unoccupied vehicle parked near the gazebo and began combing through the brush.

The captain came upon the woman dangling from the rope, but still alive, sources said. That’s when he grabbed the woman, holding her for about 30 to 45 seconds so the noose wouldn’t choke her, until the fisherman broke the branch.