San Francisco Police Help Rescue Man in Crisis 21-049
On February 24, 2021 at approximately 6:18 AM, San Francisco Police officers from Central Police Station responded to a hotel on the unit block of Drumm Street regarding a person attempting suicide. Officers arrived and found that the 61-year-old man had climbed over a railing of the 16th floor and was sitting on a ledge overlooking the hotel’s atrium.
Central Station officers began a dialogue with the man who could speak but could not hear. The officers brought a “whiteboard” and used it to write messages and further communicate with him. Members of the SFPD Crisis Hostage Negotiation Team (CHNT) arrived on scene. Seeing that the patrol officers had established rapport with the man, the CHNT members provided support while the officers continued dialogue with the man.
Following extensive communication, the officers gained compliance and developed a plan with San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) firefighters to bring the man back to safety. He was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. The SFPD Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is coordinating with the Department of Public Health to ensure the man receives follow-up care.
In 2020, the San Francisco Police Department responded to 49,578 crisis calls and performed 2,700 mental health detentions. The Department’s Crisis Hostage Negotiation Team responded on 77 call outs to assist persons in crisis.