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Police: Man released after getting stuck in harness on Seminary Road Bridge over I-395

Alexandria Police and Fire Departments responding to the Seminary Road Bridge where a man got stuck in a harness, April 7, 2024 (via Virginia Department of Transportation)

The Alexandria Police Department released a D.C. man after put on a harness and got stuck on the Seminary Road Bridge that runs across Interstate 395 on Sunday.

APD and the Alexandria Fire Department responded to a psychiatric emergency at around 8:15 a.m., and found the 62-year-old man with a harness wrapped around his waist and “strapped to the bridge,” police said in a dispatch.

After being unable to locate air bags or mattresses, AFD found a 24-foot-tall ladder, which the man used to climb down to N. Van Dorn Street, according to dispatches.

The entire incident was over by 8:40 a.m. and resulted in Virginia State Police and APD shutting down the northbound Seminary Road exit, as well as a portion of N. Van Dorn Street.

The man reportedly told police that he was trying to “retrieve personal property when he got stuck.” He was released after safely reaching the ground, according to APD.

APD did not release any other information on the man with the harness.

via Virginia Department of Transportation

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.