suicide

Police Rescue Man After Suicide Attempt

By ARLnow.com

 

Police were able to rescue a man who attempted to hang himself from a light pole tonight.

The incident happened in the area of Walter Reed Drive and S. Pollard Street, near the Ft. Barnard dog park. Police received a call just before 5:15 p.m. for a man sitting on a light pole — about 20 feet up — with a rope around his neck. As officers arrived on scene, the man jumped, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

Sternbeck said the man came to rest about five feet off the ground. Officers worked quickly and managed to get the man down. He had a pulse when paramedics transported him to a local hospital, according to Sternbeck.

Police remained on scene to investigate the incident, Sternbeck said. The man’s current condition was not immediately available.

Courtesy photo. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is a phone call away. Call CrisisLink at 703-527-4077.

County Focusing on Suicide Prevention for Mental Health Week

By ARLnow.com

Next week is national Mental Health Awareness Week and Arlington County is using the occasion to emphasize ways residents can help prevent suicide.

From 2005 to 2010 there were 102 suicide deaths in Arlington, according to the county’s Department of Human Services. During those six years, 71 percent of the deaths were among males, and most of those males were in their 30s or 40s.

Arlington’s average yearly suicide rate is 8.21 deaths per 100,000 residents. Though that rate is lower than the comparative national rate of 11.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 people (36,000 deaths in the U.S. per year), Arlington County is reminding residents that they can help prevent a tragedy by recognizing the following early warning signs of suicidal behavior.

  • Talk, threats or plans about hurting oneself, death or suicide
  • Feeling hopeless
  • Feeling uncontrolled rage or anger
  • Acting recklessly, seemingly without thinking
  • Feeling trapped
  • Increasing or excessive alcohol or drug use
  • Withdrawing from friends, family, society
  • Feeling anxious, agitated or unable to sleep
  • Dramatic mood swings
  • Feeling purposeless, with no reasons to live

If someone you know exhibits any of those signs, you’re encouraged to call the Arlington County Mental Health Emergency Service 24-hour hotline at 703-228-5160. If you yourself are having thoughts of suicide, seek help by calling CrisisLink at 703-527-4077 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Death Investigation in Alcova Heights

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a death on 2nd Street South in Alcova Heights this morning.

A passerby found a person shot to death in a car, police said. The car was parked on the side of the street, still running. Initial evidence points to suicide, we’re told.

2nd Street is closed to traffic between Glebe Road and South Oakland Street while police investigate the incident.

In a Moment, A Life Taken and Many More Shaken

By ARLnow.com

“Someone call 911!” a woman shouted as glass rained down on a popular lunch spot at the base of a sleek Rosslyn office  building around 11:30 Tuesday morning. Up above, a man in the seventh floor had locked his office door from the inside and was furiously breaking a hole in one of the thick windows.

The man — white, mid-30s, balding, well-dressed — worked for Verizon, according to police and witness accounts. It’s not known why he wanted to take his life that day, nor why he chose to do so in a way that thoroughly traumatized the 10-15 people who witnessed it. The word around his office was that he was a quiet man who was divorced and had kids. On this particular day, people said, he was particularly quiet.

The office workers on their smoke and lunch breaks scattered as the glass fell. If it wasn’t for the glass, a witness said, the man could have easily landed on top of someone. Police arrived within seconds of the 911 call but it was too late. The man was on the ground, bleeding.

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BREAKING NEWS — Man Dies After Plunge From Rosslyn High-Rise

By ARLnow.com

See updated story here.

A man died after a seven story plunge from a broken window in a Rosslyn high-rise. Initial reports suggest it was a suicide.

The man landed on a brick courtyard outside of a cafe. A large crowd gathered as police placed a white sheet over the man’s body, which was surrounded by broken glass in clear view of witnesses.

The man was in his mid-30’s, according to Arlington police spokesperson Det. Crystal Nosal.

The building is located at 17th Street and North Nash Street.

Editor’s Note: Normally media outlets do not report on suicides. There are two exceptions: when it involves a public figure, or when it’s done in a high-profile, public area (such as a Metro station). In this case, the incident happened outside the front entrance to a large office building as people were heading out on their lunch break. There were a number of witnesses. Due to the public nature of the incident, we decided that it was of sufficient public interest to report.

IMPORTANT: The following photos (after the link) contain imagery that some readers may find disturbing.

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