On Saturday, February 17 just before 10 p.m., a man jumped into the Lehigh River in Coplay to evade police.
The Northampton Borough Police Department was originally dispatched to Ninth and Main streets for a man that was possibly suicidal. A man matching the description that had been given to police was spotted across the Coplay-Northampton Bridge, who then ran from law enforcement and jumped into the river from the shoreline of the Coplay side of the bridge, said Northampton Police Chief Bryan Kadingo. Officers then lost sight of him.
The water search for the man was a joint effort between the Coplay Fire Department and the Northampton Fire Department, with many other neighboring fire departments also responding to the scene.
After searching for a few hours, police found two sets of tracks nearby, however it is unclear if they belonged to the man.
The investigation is ongoing; at time of print the name of the man has not been released. It is believed the man has outstanding warrants, however it is not believed that he is a danger to the public, said Kadingo.
