UPDATE: APD says body found near Oglethorpe Bridge a suicide

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler has confirmed that a body was found Sunday around 1 p.m. near the Oglethorpe Bridge in downtown Albany.

On Sunday, the Albany Police Department reported that the death was a suicide, though Fowler said he is not ready to make that ruling until the autopsy is complete.

Results of the autopsy could be back soon.

The body seemed to had been in the water for at least a week, according to Coroner Fowler.

The body has not been identified at this time.

Fowler said an investigation continues.

Authorities hoping an autopsy will give them answers.

What Albany Police say they are sure of, is the safety near where the body was found.

Sitting near the Oglethorpe bridge, one man who wanted to remain anonymous said he’s here daily.

“It’s peaceful,” he said.

Until it wasn’t Sunday afternoon.

“The police, fireman, everybody was here the coroner,” he said.

Authorities say a body was found near the bridge.

“It was shock and a surprise to me,” he explained.

He said he saw the crime scene and started to question what happened.

So did the police.

“You never know what the next call may be and whatever that call is and once we get there and we determine and take the appropriate response to it,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley.

With an investigation underway, this man said he still feels safe in the park.

“Mostly you’ve got people my age and women with children,” he explained.

He said he see’s police often.

“We have officers who are down there from CSO’s, our community safety officers, to uniform officers that have a 24 hour coverage downtown,” said Chief Persley.

There are cameras monitoring the park as well.

But for this man, who said he too watches out for the park, he said he definitely wasn’t expecting this.

“It’s just a shock to me to know that somebody was dead down there because my behind was here between 8:30 and 9 o’clock," he said.

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