Police talked down a woman threatening to jump off of Kings Plaza’s parking garage on Jan. 11.
Officers responded to a 911 call of a large crowd gathering near the Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U mall and arrived at about 9:30 am to find an emotionally disturbed woman atop the five-story parking structure and threatening to jump, a police spokeswoman said.
The woman sat right on the ledge with a cup of coffee, photos show.
Officers struck up a conversation to distract her while another pulled her to safety, according to photographer Simon Gifter, who was on the scene.
“She was literally on the ledge, and they basically were talking to her, distracted her a little, just grabbed her, and pulled her off the ledge,” said Gifter. “If she would have went back, she would have fallen. It was very scary.
And once the woman was safe from hurting herself, officers continued to calm her down — and they even bummed her a smoke, said Gifter.
“She asked for a cigarette, they gave her a cigarette. They were really nice,” he said. “They got her talking.”
Officers took the woman into custody and are investigating, but she was not arrested, police said.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs, or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273–8255; and take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
