Multiple people called 911 to report “somebody screaming” and cries for help before former NFL star Rudi Johnson’s suicide at an apartment building in Florida just after midnight last Tuesday, according to police audio obtained by TMZ.
One caller told the 911 dispatcher she saw someone — later identified as Johnson — fall from the balcony of a building near her residence in Sunny Isles, Fla., at around 11 p.m. ET on Sept. 22.
“It’s building in front of me, I just saw someone jump off the building … They jumped off the balcony into the pool,” the anonymous caller said.
“There was multiple people on the balcony … Somebody was screaming, saying, ‘Help me.’
“I looked over and somebody was screaming ‘Help me, help me!’ screaming at at the top of their longs, so I looked over and I saw somebody just completely falling off the balcony.”
When the 911 dispatcher asked the caller if she heard anything before the incident, she responded, “I heard somebody screaming, saying, ‘Help! Help! Don’t do this. Don’t do this. Somebody help me. Somebody help me.’ It was a woman.”
Johnson was pronounced dead after he was rushed to the hospital, according to TMZ.
In separate audio, another caller described similar details to another 911 dispatcher.
“I just heard people screaming and a huge … bang,” the second caller said. “I heard people screaming for help in the pool … I heard a lot of screaming … And then a huge boom.”
Five people called police to report the incident, according to TMZ.
A spokesperson for the Miami Dade Sheriff’s Office told TMZ, “There’s no foul play suspected,” and the matter “has been unequivocally deemed a suicide.”
TMZ reported that Johnson had been “struggling with mental health issues and the possible effects of CTE that he could not overcome.”
The Bengals drafted Johnson in the fourth round with the No. 100 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and he became their single-season rushing yards leader.
Johnson played eight years in the NFL, rushing for 5,979 yards and 49 touchdowns.
He spent seven of his eight seasons with Cincinnati, appearing in 81 games with the franchise and starting 59. Johnson made his lone Pro Bowl in 2004.
His family and friends held a memorial ceremony on Miami Beach on Wednesday, which would have been his 46th birthday.
“Rudi was a fine person and an excellent running back for us,”Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a statement. “He was dependable and productive as a player, and very popular among his teammates. Everyone liked him and saw him as a dear friend. We are deeply saddened by his passing.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.