Forrest Avenue from Vernon to Dallis streets was closed late Wednesday and part of the south campus of LaGrange College was on lockdown after a man on the railroad bridge over Forrest Avenue threatened suicide.

The man told officials that he was going to jump and wanted to die.

“We were told he had a gun and a knife, but he only had a knife,” said LaGrange Public Safety Chief Lou Dekmar.

The incident began just before 4:30 p.m. when someone reported a man on the bridge. A police department negotiation team arrived and talked to the man. He came down from the bridge just before 7 p.m. and was taken to West Georgia Medical Center for evaluation. Police said the man had not taken medication prescribed for a psychological condition.

As a precaution, the college had sent a text message to students and faculty warning them of the security issue on campus, and the nearby Lamar Dodd Art Center and Callaway Educational Building were locked down and ball fields adjacent to Forrest Avenue were evacuated.

“Campus security in the neighborhood quickly began to empty outdoor spaces, and people in surrounding areas were moved to secure indoor locations,” said Marty Pirrman, the college’s vice president for finance and operations, who was on the scene until police gave the all-clear.

Pirrman said the college was grateful for the police’s action and that nearby residents and students were not threatened in the incident.

“The remainder of the campus was advised through the college’s emergency notification system, which broadcasts an e-mail and text message with alert details,” he said.