The unidentified man jumped off the WAMU FM radio tower in Washington, D.C., early this morning.
A harrowing three-day standoff at American University’s campus ended in tragedy this morning when an unidentified man experiencing a mental health crisis jumped from the 321-foot WAMU-FM radio tower in Washington, D.C., police say. Authorities have opened a death investigation and ruled the incident a suicide.
D.C. police first received reports around 3 p.m. Tuesday of an individual scaling the tower, perching midway up the structure, and carrying a backpack
Over the next 60 hours, crisis negotiators and emergency personnel worked tirelessly to persuade him to descend. Though he initially appeared cooperative on Thursday morning, he remained on the platform through Thursday night.
American University issued evacuation and shelter-in-place alerts for south-campus buildings Tuesday evening, as the situation escalated.
Despite negotiations that included fundraising, at around 5:45 a.m. Friday, the man lifted himself from the platform and jumped, ending the tense standoff.
In a statement shared with the campus community, Vice President Bronté Burleigh-Jones expressed sorrow over the tragic outcome, underscoring the extensive efforts made by first responders to reach a peaceful resolution.
The WAMU tower, which also supports WTOP broadcasts, briefly went offline during the incident while authorities secured the area.
The man’s identity and background have not been released.
Two unrelated deaths, one tower: A grim coincidence in New Jersey
While standoffs involving emotionally distressed or under the influence individuals atop communication towers are not uncommon, most end in successful rescues.
The longest known incident occurred in Tulsa, OK, where on August 17, 2011, retired police detective Tyrone Lynn persuaded William Sturdivant to descend safely after spending nearly six days atop a Clear Channel tower—much of it without food or water.
However, a tragic exception unfolded in Long Branch, NJ, where two separate suicides occurred within six months of each other at the same tower site.
On October 21, 2014, a 38-year-old man climbed approximately 200 feet up the 400-foot Y107 broadcast tower and jumped, crashing through the roof of an adjacent abandoned building. A suicide note was later found in his vehicle nearby.
The incident mirrored an earlier tragedy on April 21 of that year, when a 60-year-old tower technician—who had serviced the tower just a week before for Verizon—jumped from the top after spending nearly an hour on the structure as responders tried in vain to talk him down.