Man jumps from crane, dies in East Liberty, police say
A man climbed a crane in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood early Tuesday morning and eventually jumped from what appeared to be more than 100 feet. Police said the man did not survive the fall.
The crane is in the 5800 block of Centre Avenue in East Liberty. Pittsburgh Police closed off traffic throughout the morning on Centre Avenue in between Negley and Euclid avenues. Police first responded at 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday to reports of the man climbing the crane.
Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson Amanda Mueller said SWAT eventually arrived on the scene to provide tactical assistance in attempts to remove the person from the crane. She said it was a psychiatric situation and there was no known threat to public safety.
For several hours Tuesday morning, the man remained seated near the top of the crane, within the vertical part of the structure. Rain poured down for stretches during the morning, but he maintained his position.
A police officer could be seen from a nearby rooftop and appeared to be attempting to communicate with the man in the crane.
About 11 a.m., first responders used a fire truck ladder to climb near the man. They could be heard asking the man to “get down,” but then eventually first responders climbed down and lowered the ladder.
According to the police, “negotiators worked tirelessly for over six hours to deliver the man to safety,” but they were ultimately unsuccessful.
Closer to noon, the man climbed to the outside of the crane and then jumped.
Mueller confirmed the man did not survive the fall but did not provide more information about him.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said it’s important to ensure people in the city feel supported. He also advocated for people reaching out to suicide hotlines if they need help.
“My heart and my prayers go out to the friends and family of the man who lost his life in East Liberty today,” wrote Gainey on Twitter. “I want to thank all of the people from Public Safety who attempted to provide help to the person in crisis and our prayers go out to them as well.”
Ryan Deto is a TribLive reporter covering politics, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County news. A native of California’s Bay Area, he joined the Trib in 2022 after spending more than six years covering Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh City Paper, including serving as managing editor. He can be reached at rdeto@triblive.com.
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