The unidentified man threw an apple, branches and pine cones at police officers attempting to rescue him.
"It is quite a spectacle, honestly," police spokesman Patrick Michaud told The Seattle Times on Tuesday.
It is unclear why the man scaled the tree, which is believed to have been in place since the 1970s and is decorated every year for Christmas.
"We want to make sure he's OK and that he can get down from the tree without hurting himself or someone else," Michaud said. "We're on his schedule — we're not going to rush it with someone at the top of a tall tree. If you rush it, it could become dangerous."
KOMO News in Seattle has been livestreaming the entire event.
Seattle police received reports shortly after 11 a.m. PT on Tuesday that a man had climbed the tree, according to a statement released by the Seattle Police Department. The cops have since been leading rescue efforts to coax the man down.
Seattle Police Department / Via spdblotter.seattle.gov
Police negotiators and crisis intervention specialists climbed a Seattle fire truck ladder to make face-to-face contact with the man, who they believe is in the midst of a crisis. But their early rescue efforts appeared futile.
Police said the man threw an apple, branches and pine cones at officers on the street below and claimed to be armed with a knife.
"Due to his violent behavior and threats, and the man's precarious position high above the ground, police are taking extreme caution to ensure the safety of everyone involved," said the police department.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/22Ffid0
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