This story has been updated after Monroe County Sheriff's Office corrected its initial report that the man was attempting to throw the woman off the cliff. They now say she was trying to keep him from jumping.
A handcuffed man in the custody of Monroe County Sheriff’s officers broke free and leapt to his death at Cedar Bluffs Nature Preserve Monday evening.
According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, a deputy responded to a “mental health in progress call” at 6 p.m. Monday from person who said a friend had texted that David Howard said, “people are going to find him at the bottom of Cedar Bluff.”
A little over an hour later, deputies were sent to the nature preserve off South Ketcham Road in southern Monroe County after receiving a call that there was body at the bottom of the cliffs. Deputies and Monroe Fire personnel were unable to locate a body, but did locate a man and a woman atop the cliff “involved in a physical altercation.”
According to deputies in the original release, the man, identified as Howard, was trying to throw the woman over the side of the cliff. They later determined the woman was attempting to keep Howard from jumping. The deputies and fire personnel were able to grab Howard and wrestle him to the ground, then handcuffed him to assess the situation.
Howard, who deputies determined made the call that led them to Cedar Bluffs, remained quiet during the next 13 minutes of interaction between officers and the woman along the cliff’s edge. Deputies reported Howard told them, “You were supposed to carry me out of here.”
Deputies determined they needed to take Howard to IU Health Bloomington for mental evaluation. But as they began to escort Howard from the scene, Howard pulled away from the deputy escorting him and began running to the edge of the cliff. The deputy grabbed Howard’s arm, but Howard again broke free and plunged over the edge.
Ambulance and fire personnel already on the scene provided care but were unsuccessful.
The sheriff’s office completed their initial investigation Friday and determined the deputies’ actions “were within departmental policies and procedures.”
