Man Has Climbed to the Top of a Tree in Downtown Seattle, Rescue Attempt Underway

Continuing talks with #ManInTree in DT Seattle, WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/VIwea3tMvw pic.twitter.com/PDaiB81gR8
— KOMO News (@komonews) March 22, 2016

He’s been up there for hours. KOMO’s helicopter-cam shows a police officer on a ladder talking with the man, who is wearing a red beanie and was seen earlier throwing apples and other items from his perch.

Reminder: Incident is still active and has Olive Way from 3rd-4th and Stewart St from 4th-5th Ave closed. Use alt routes.
— seattledot (@seattledot) March 22, 2016

There’s a parody Twitter account with hundreds of followers, a trending #ManInTree hashtag, as well as Twitter puns from the SPD, if that kind of stuff rocks your socks! There’s also the fact that our mental health system and wider social safety net is woefully underfunded.

UPDATE 5:10 p.m.: The man just climbed partway down the tree. Then he climbed back up to the top. He’s taken off the jacket and beanie. He looks dejected. Earlier, he ripped off the tree’s top branches and threw them to the ground. KOMO’s helicopter livefeed is still going.