Crisis Negotiators Successfully Convince Man to Come Off Ledge of Parking Garage

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Franconia Police District – Following a lengthy negotiation, members of FCPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team persuaded a man, who had been threatening to jump from a parking garage roof, to step down.

Just after 3 p.m. yesterday, officers from our Franconia District responded to a suicidal man ready to jump from the roof of a parking garage in the Springfield Mall. Quick-thinking officers engaged the man in conversation to calm him down and bought time for additional resources, including our Crisis Negotiators and Co-Responder units, to respond. Negotiators spoke with the man for over five hours and were able to convince him to step off of the ledge. The man was taken into custody and is receiving services.

Our Crisis Negotiators are professionals specifically trained in speaking with individuals to de-escalate often volatile life and death situations such as suicide attempts, standoffs, hostage situations, and other critical incidents.

Our Co-Responder Program partners one of our police officers assigned to our Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) with a Community Services Board (CSB) Crisis Intervention Specialist. The pair ride in a patrol cruiser together and respond to behavioral health calls for service throughout the county. They serve adults and youth undergoing emotional distress who would benefit from crisis intervention services. This distress could be potentially linked to mental health issues, substance usage, developmental disabilities, or other associated concerns.

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