May 18, 2013
A central Alabama man has been ordered to pay a $1,400 fine for jumping from a bridge and prompting a search that involved multiple law enforcement agencies.
The Tuscaloosa News reported Friday that 24-year-old Justin Jay Rich has been ordered to pay the city for costs associated with the search and $150 in additional court costs.
Rich will also be on probation for two years.
Authorities searched the river and riverbanks from a helicopter in October, believing someone attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the Black Warrior Parkway Bridge.
A video later surfaced on YouTube of Rich making the 110-foot jump.
Rich pleaded guilty to obstructing government operations, and the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney's office requested that a charge of disorderly conduct be dropped against him.
