Officer Talks Young Man Out of 24-Story Leap
A police officer using “quiet conversation” prevented a young man who said he was depressed about his crack cocaine addiction from jumping off the roof of a 24-story building Tuesday in Brentwood.
The man, whose name was withheld but who was reported to be about 20 years old, was spotted about 11:15 a.m. leaning over the edge of the roof of the high-rise building at 11755 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles Police said.
Sgt. Rick Walker and Officer Rob Lerner climbed to the roof to talk to the man, who told the officers that “his life was (in) shambles” because of his addiction to crack cocaine and that he wanted to commit suicide, Walker said.
“Officer Lerner approached the man, got within about 5 feet and engaged him in quiet conversation,” Walker said. “He (the officer) told him all he had to live for and that he’d get him help.”
The young man, in tears, listened to Lerner for about five minutes before moving away from the ledge.
The man was taken to Santa Monica Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.
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