On February 3, Police Officers Malave and Vitale from Public Service Area 3 (PSA 3) called upon their NYPD training and years of experience to save a suicidal Brooklyn resident. Police Officers Malave and Vitale responded to a call from a concerned mother regarding her son who suffers from mental illness. At the apartment the officers found the despondent man and started de-escalating the situation.
As the officers spoke to the man and his relatives in the apartment, he became agitated and ran up the stairwell toward the roof. The officers ascended six flights of stairs in pursuit of the man in crisis. At the rooftop, Officers Malave and Vitale found the man sitting on the ledge with his feet dangling over the edge. Recognizing the immediate threat of physical harm to the subject, the officers requested backup. The officers maintained a safe distance and focused on slowing down the situation and gaining voluntary compliance.
When the man expressed fear of getting in trouble, the officers promised him that his safety was their only concern. Officers Malave and Vitale have been working in the same sector for the past three years and used their established credibility to reassure him that his safety and health were priority. The man then called a friend on the phone and spoke about his children. As a father of two, Police Officer Malave could sense the man’s love for his children and directed the conversation to their experiences as fathers:
“Once I found out that he had kids, I knew this was a soft spot for him. From then on we focused on his children.”
As the officers began to gain his trust, the man stepped back from the ledge and came closer to the officers. At this point, Police Officers Cardenas and Salazar arrived to help their fellow PSA 3 officers. Once the man was a safe distance from the ledge, the four officers were able to grab the man and escort him to safety. He was then transported by EMS to a local hospital where he will receive the help and care he needs.
