Often when a person is contemplating suicide, he or she feels alone, hopeless and that taking their life is their only option. The NYPD continually helps people in their worst, most dire moments of their lives to let them know they are not alone, help is available, and that they do have options.
On Tuesday, March 7, it took a team of NYPD personnel from a variety of units to help save a suicidal man in Queens. At approximately 8 a.m., a call came over the radio for a suicidal male on the ledge of an apartment roof in the Briarwood section of Queens. NYPD Patrol and Strategic Response Group (SRG) officers were quickly able to secure the area and a request was made for the Emergency Service Unit (ESU) and the Hostage Negotiation Team (HNT).
Members of ESU and HNT worked together to create a communication strategy and ESU officers made repeated attempts to engage the distressed man in conversation. While this was happening, an airbag was already set up while a second one was escorted to the scene by NYPD Highway patrol officers. Additional HNT negotiators were on the scene trying to gather information on the man by talking with neighbors and on-lookers.
The crisis incident continued and in addition to the cold and windy weather, a steady rain began to fall. In attempts to engage the man and establish rapport with him, officers offered the man a blanket as well as water. Nearly two hours passed and although the man did not engage the officers in conversation, this type of “stalling for time” allowed the officers to slowly get closer to him. Eventually ESU officers were able to grab onto the man and bring him safely back from the edge.
WATCH THIS: #NYPD heroes grab suicidal man seconds before jumping off 6 story building in Queens moments ago at 141-30 84th Rd pic.twitter.com/oHgRjEuKON
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 7, 2017
The man was transported to the hospital to be evaluated and receive care.
This incident is one of thousands instances NYPD officers demonstrated an expertise in being able to help people in crisis by working as a team and using a variety of crisis communication and tactical skills.
