State Police officer rescues woman from Paseo del Norte bridge in Albuquerque

A New Mexico State Police officer pulled a woman to safety from the Paseo del Norte bridge in Albuquerque after a welfare check found her sitting there and appearing to be in a mental health crisis. Officer Patrick Chavez brought her back to a safe area, then stayed with her until paramedics arrived and Emergency Medical Services took her to a hospital for evaluation.

The response shows how a bridge call can move quickly from law enforcement into crisis care. In Bernalillo County, a welfare check is often the first step in a scene where officers, paramedics, and hospital staff have to work together, and the goal shifts from enforcement to keeping someone alive long enough to get treatment. New Mexico State Police says it is committed to providing high-quality public safety services and building partnerships that help prevent crime, while Albuquerque police under Chief Cecily Barker describe their leadership as rooted in accountability, community trust and compassionate policing.

The Paseo del Norte corridor has seen similar interventions before. In 2016, Albuquerque police officers stopped a woman from jumping off the Paseo Del Norte overpass near Jefferson after video showed officers grabbing her and pulling her to safety. That earlier case, like Chavez’s rescue, underscores how often a roadway intervention in Albuquerque becomes a mental-health response before it becomes anything else.

For residents who want help before a crisis reaches a bridge, 988 connects callers and texters to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and New Mexico’s Crisis and Access Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-855-NMCRISIS. The City of Albuquerque also directs people in emergencies to 911 and says other service needs can be routed through 2-1-1. In a city and county that still see police called to the edge of life-or-death moments, those numbers are part of the safety net that exists before officers ever arrive.