IFPD officer who talked man out of suicide: 'I was very nervous' - East Idaho News
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IFPD officer who talked man out of suicide: ‘I was very nervous’

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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls Police Officer credited for saving a suicidal man has been asked to speak at a conference for the California Association of Hostage Negotiators.

Officer Bart Whiting has remained humble since the incident and has been reflecting the past few weeks about what happened.

“Unfortunately, I’ve been a part of two shootings in my ten year career with the Idaho Falls Police department and to be honest with you, I was really kind of… freaking out a little bit,” Officer Bart Whiting said.

It was around 1 a.m. on January 12 when the call came in that a suicidal man was lying on the sidewalk on Shoup Avenue with a gun to his head. Whiting was in downtown Idaho Falls and arrived with 20-30 seconds of the call coming in.

“The time that the call came out to the time it finished was about 11 minutes. From the time Officer Whiting arrived and the situation was resolved, it was about nine minutes,” Idaho Falls Police Sergeant Timothy Downs says.

Because Whiting was the first on the scene, he was able to establish a relationship with the man in his late 20s to early 30s. A total of 17 officers, including law enforcement from the Bonneville County Sherriff’s office, were able to assist.

“Officer Whiting built a rapport with the guy. I think it’s imperative to say that not only did he keep the guy from shooting himself, but he managed to keep the young man from pointing the weapon at us and causing us to have to shoot him,” Downs says.

Whiting said when he initially heard the call, all kinds of scenarios were racing through his head.

“He was laying down on the ground, with a gun pointed to his head. So I started talking to him, and then he sat up, and then the gun became really big, just in my mind, because I was focused in on the gun,” Whiting says.

The man was outside of a bar where he had been prior to the incident. He admitted to having a few drinks and Whiting said he didn’t seem to be too impaired.

Once Whiting made a connection, the man told him that he was retired from the military and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

After several minutes, the man put the gun down and Whiting was able to take him to a safe place. But things didn’t end there – in fact, Whiting stayed with him four hours.

“I took him to EIRMC and we talked about stuff he had seen, and he just had a really bad year. One of his best friends had completed suicide with a gun to his head, and also spoke about a family member passing away during the year,” Whiting says.

Whiting’s actions led the California Association of Hostage Negotiators to invite him to be a speaker in April. All expenses will be covered by the association as Whiting trains other officers.

“We had a good outcome and officers are being recognized for doing a good job. What Officer Whiting did, I would expect everybody else to do,” Downs said.

Whiting adds, “I don’t think I did anything special. I do have a general love and care for people. I really believe in the ideal of the job and the shield and protecting people. I really care about people. Maybe through speaking with him he felt that I did have a genuine care and concern for him.”

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