Officials dismissed a protest sign hung out for a few hours from Tappan Zee in New York City bridge on Monday, backing up traffic for miles before falling into the Hudson River and to be hauled on board a police boat.
Michael Davitt, of Garnerville, New York, was unhappy with dismissal in 2008 from his consulting work with the Rockland County Mental Health Department and was well known to law enforcement agencies, County Sheriff James Kralik said.
On Monday morning, Davitt was driving the van on the bridge, down a rope ladder, which was tied to the van and tears, then sat in a harness for more than three hours by about 65 feet above the river.
He swayed in the wind, and sometimes even swigged from a bottle.
The annex to his office was a banner accusing the Rockland officials "front" and "revenge."
"It's weird," County Representative Ron Levin said. "It's a very strange way to make a point."
He said, Davitt submitted applications and received a disability pension, retirement.
At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, a police state on the deck of the bridge is attached to the rope ladder and lowered Davitt almost to the water, hoping to get him in a police boat, said Capt. Evelyn Mallard State Police.
Then he jumped from a height of about 10 feet and swam away, apparently injured. After a few minutes in the water, he grabbed a life preserver on the boat and towed Yonkers police and handcuffed.
Boats brought him to the dock in Tarrytown, where he was taken to Westchester Medical Center for evaluation, Mallard said. She said no charges would be filed before the evaluation.
Tappan Zee Bridge is a major shift to the north of New York, which carries Interstate 87 between suburban Westchester and Rockland counties. Rescue crews are forced to stop moving in an easterly direction, back up vehicles for miles.
Davitt was loudly protested at the meetings of Rockland County legislature and sent letters, "which some people considered to be threatening," Kralik said. Deputies were sent to the meeting to follow him, but he was never arrested, the sheriff said.
Davitt also sometimes picketed outside a building in the county of New City and tried to argue his case to the county officials, Kralik said.
"We decided to follow him, to make sure that it does not cross the line, and he never did," Kralik said. "Today, he not only went to the line, he jumped over him."
Michael Davitt, of Garnerville, New York, was unhappy with dismissal in 2008 from his consulting work with the Rockland County Mental Health Department and was well known to law enforcement agencies, County Sheriff James Kralik said.
On Monday morning, Davitt was driving the van on the bridge, down a rope ladder, which was tied to the van and tears, then sat in a harness for more than three hours by about 65 feet above the river.
He swayed in the wind, and sometimes even swigged from a bottle.
The annex to his office was a banner accusing the Rockland officials "front" and "revenge."
"It's weird," County Representative Ron Levin said. "It's a very strange way to make a point."
He said, Davitt submitted applications and received a disability pension, retirement.
At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, a police state on the deck of the bridge is attached to the rope ladder and lowered Davitt almost to the water, hoping to get him in a police boat, said Capt. Evelyn Mallard State Police.
Then he jumped from a height of about 10 feet and swam away, apparently injured. After a few minutes in the water, he grabbed a life preserver on the boat and towed Yonkers police and handcuffed.
Boats brought him to the dock in Tarrytown, where he was taken to Westchester Medical Center for evaluation, Mallard said. She said no charges would be filed before the evaluation.
Tappan Zee Bridge is a major shift to the north of New York, which carries Interstate 87 between suburban Westchester and Rockland counties. Rescue crews are forced to stop moving in an easterly direction, back up vehicles for miles.
Davitt was loudly protested at the meetings of Rockland County legislature and sent letters, "which some people considered to be threatening," Kralik said. Deputies were sent to the meeting to follow him, but he was never arrested, the sheriff said.
Davitt also sometimes picketed outside a building in the county of New City and tried to argue his case to the county officials, Kralik said.
"We decided to follow him, to make sure that it does not cross the line, and he never did," Kralik said. "Today, he not only went to the line, he jumped over him."
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