Baxter man's jump off Laurel Street bridge leads to arrest
A 21-year-old Baxter man was arrested Thursday after he jumped off the Laurel Street bridge because "he thought it would be fun," Brainerd Police Chief John Bolduc said.
Bolduc said Nathan Becker was seen jumping near the center of the bridge, which can be as high as 80 feet off the water. Bolduc said Becker, who was not injured, tried to run away after the incident when he realized he was attracting attention. Bolduc said officers apprehended Becker several minutes after he jumped on the west side of the Mississippi River, about a fourth-mile south of the bridge.
A man jumped off the Laurel Street bridge in Brainerd Thursday, falling about 80 feet into the Mississippi River. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Bolduc said Becker is being charged with disorderly conduct.
Officers received the call of the jumping at 3:33 p.m.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department assisted Brainerd at the scene.