Perceived Suicide Attempt on CA Bridge Ends in Bizarre Feat of Acrobatics

Traffic in Rialto, Calif. was stalled Sunday after a man dashed across eight lanes of traffic, jumped a fence on an overpass, and dangled himself off a freeway sign.

Though at first it appeared to be a suicide attempt, the man soon began a bizarre acrobatic performance that included dangling upside down from the narrow ledge.

“He would sit down. He would get up and pace back and forth,” Mike Powell, who filmed the whole event, recalled.

Watch video of the event, via CBS below:

But that isn't the strangest part.

As soon as the fire department was able to place an air cushion beneath the man, he jumped off-- without waiting for them to blow it up.

Unscathed, the amateur gymnast took off at a run, followed by a swarm of firemen and police officers.

Here is the raw video:

One firefighter eventually threw his helmet at the amateur gymnast, according to CBS, but it was the firefighter who consequently fell to the ground.  However, a CHP officer was eventually able to use a Taser to subdue the offender.

Sgt. Edward Reyes expressed satisfaction at the conclusion of the dramatic event, saying: “Without having to use deadly force...we [got] the pedestrian into custody for the safety of him and traffic.”

The man's mental health condition is currently being evaluated, and authorities are determining whether he had drugs in his system at the time.

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