Police officers climbed a fire escape on East 12th Street today to calm a man who had been causing a disturbance.
A resident of the block between Avenues A and B, who did not want to identify herself, witnessed the commotion. “I came out and saw a man who seemed to be agitated on the top floor hanging out his window, yelling down to the cops,” she said. “The cops didn’t seem too concerned about it, but apparently he didn’t want to let them into his apartment so they had to go up the fire escape.”
As police officers climbed to the top floor of 513 East 12th Street, the man locked the window; after a few minutes, they talked the man into opening it and letting them in.
Melvin Felix Officers prepare to climb the fireescape.
The woman said the police seemed familiar with the man, whose name she did not know. “My super was telling me that he’s gone up on the roof and cut himself before,” she said. “And when he was talking, he seemed a little out of it.”
Edgar Villongco, the owner of Urban Motion across the street from the apartment building, said the man had caused trouble there before. “I was one of the people who called the police one time when there was a similar disturbance,” he said. “He was yelling out the window and everyone walking by thought he was threatening to kill himself.”
He said police officers were able to resolve the issue then, and they were apparently successful today as well. About 15 minutes after they climbed into the apartment, they emerged from the building without having taken anyone into custody.
“This is common for 12th Street,” said the resident who spoke to The Local. “I’ve lived here for over 20 years now and there’s always some sort of craziness happening.”
