A man who scaled a 321-foot broadcast tower in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, entering a three-day-long standoff with local police, has reportedly died.
The tower, located on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C., services WAMU 88.5, the D.C.-area’s NPR news station, and Hubbard Broadcasting’s WTOP 103.5.
D.C. police first reported the incident on X at 2:41 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, saying they had “negotiators” on the scene of a barricaded situation on the 4400 block of Massachusetts Ave, NW, which is located on American University’s campus.
American University owns WAMU’s operating license.
While police negotiations took place, WAMU said its radio signal was briefly affected. According to WAMU Chief Advancement Officer Leslie VanSant, the station quickly “powered down the tower to support the emergency response.”
Over the next few days, as the standoff continued, WAMU operated from its backup transmission facility in Virginia. Similarly, WTOP operated from its own backup facility in neighboring Maryland.
A video from NBC4 Washington on Wednesday showed the unidentified man pacing atop the tower.
The situation came to an end Friday morning when the man reportedly jumped from the tower. WAMU issued a statement, which was shared with Radio World.
“On Tuesday afternoon, a person scaled the broadcast tower that services WAMU 88.5 and a number of other area broadcasters,” said WAMU in its emailed statement. “It is with deep sorrow that we share the situation at the tower resulted in the death of the individual, despite the tireless work of emergency services on the ground. We appreciate their efforts.”
American University’s student publication The Eagle said the man spent a total of 62 hours atop the broadcast tower, dying in what police described as an apparent suicide.
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