A man who authorities said was having an apparent mental crisis scaled a 300-foot construction crane Wednesday in Portland, Ore., and refused to come down for more than five hours.
Photos and videos posted on social media during the five-hour incident show an adult man pacing and forth as a crisis negotiation team communicated with him via loudspeakers.
Sgt. Brad Yakots told reporters in a news conference that the man, who has not been identified, climbed over a fence and scaled the crane shortly after 1 p.m. Construction workers then called 911, evacuated the crane and shut down the power on the site, Yakots said.
The man came down on his own around 6:30 p.m. and was taken to the hospital for mental health evaluation. It was not clear whether he would face any criminal charges.
Yakots described the incident as a “very unique” situation because it was hard to communicate with the man.
During the lengthy negotiation, large banners with the phrases “YOU MATTER” and “WE LOVE YOU” were placed near the crane so the man could read them.