PORT ANGELES — Police were at the new Valley Creek bridge on Eighth Street in fewer than 14 seconds after getting a report that a 19-year-old Port Angeles man might be jumping to his death.
But the man ran from officers onto the bridge, then jumped over the side of the 98-foot-tall span into the darkness of early Sunday morning.
Joshua Glenn Reynolds, 19, was still alive when officers reached him on the ground below, but he was pronounced dead at Olympic Medical Center, said Brian Smith, deputy police chief, on Monday.
Reynolds did not tell police a reason for jumping, Smith said.
“I’m sure some people who know him know some reasons, but our investigation is still continuing,” he said.
‘He seemed happy’
Ashley Lauderback, who said she was a longtime friend of Reynolds, said she had seen him Saturday night.
“He didn’t seem suicidal at all — he seemed happy,” she said.
He gave her a hug, she said.
An autopsy will be ordered along with screening for drugs or alcohol, Smith said.
“That is a matter of protocol in this kind of situation,” he said.
“All of those procedures will be followed, of course.”
He said officers would wait until the lab work came back to determine whether either factored in.
Reynolds was on the west end of the bridge — the easternmost of two twin concrete bridges opened in February — when police began speaking to him, Smith said.
“As soon as the officers spoke to him, he broke out in a run and jumped over the side of the bridge,” Smith said.
“They were on scene less than 14 seconds when he ran and jumped.”
Police were responding to a call in which an acquaintance of Reynolds said that he was “possibly suicidal” and “might, possibly consider” going to the Eighth Street bridges, Police Chief Terry Gallagher said.
Police called to scene
“It was a third-hand report at that time,” Smith said.
The officers fired a Taser at Reynolds as he ran but missed hitting him, Smith said.
“He was quite a way in front of them, and it is always a disadvantage in that kind of situation,” Smith said.
“It is also difficult because it is a very dangerous situation for officers to be dealing with a suicidal subject.
“Ultimately though, they were not able to prevent him from doing what he apparently had been intending.”
No further information on Reynolds’ was available Monday.
The bridge over Valley Creek is 98 feet at its highest point.
Reynolds fell the entire distance to the ground, Smith said.
One officer stayed at the top of the bridge while others made their way to Valley Street below, Smith said.
No statistics were available on how many people had historically jumped off the old trestle bridges that the new, $24 million spans replaced.
An impromptu memorial of flowers to Reynolds was set up by friends and family on Sunday and Monday.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
