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Warning: This story contains sensitive content that may be distressing. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out to 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for support.
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Last Friday, three officers from the Sarasota police force intervened just in time to prevent a man from ending his life from the sixth floor of a downtown parking structure.
Police received a call around 2 a.m. concerning a person behaving suspiciously, which quickly escalated into a life-threatening situation.
Footage from the officers’ body cameras captured the delicate handling of the crisis.
At a press conference held on Friday, Officers Michal Banasiak and Orlando Perez, two of the three officers at the scene, recounted the intense moments they faced.
“I can promise you, I know that you saw a lot of cars, a lot of cops, but you are in zero trouble,” Officer Banasiak said attempting to negotiate with the man.
Officer Perez explained the steps officers take even before engaging directly with someone in crisis.
“We came up. [with] no lights, no sirens, even the headlights. We shut them off before we even arrived to the sixth floor,” he said. “Not coming up fast. Just nice and easy. Roll your car and not even slam the door. Just shut it. Basically, everything as quiet as possible, and that way it doesn’t get that person excited.”
Banasiak, who was the first officer to make contact, credited his training in crisis intervention for his ability to act quickly and safely.
“You might go through 30 years of your career and never encounter a call like that; it happened that it happened to me two years in,” he said. “We spent 40 hours in that room going through every scenario that we can encounter.”
He described how his body-worn camera allowed command staff to observe and advise in real time.
“They could hear what is going on and immediately start directing other officers what to do, what not to do. And they could hear what I’m saying to that person,” Banasiak explained. “They noticed I established rapport with that person. So, they just told me, ‘Hey, keep talking to him. Don’t worry about the radio. We got the rest.’ And I could hear everything.”
Banasiak added that there is an overarching issue of mental health hindering the local Sarasota community, which he and his colleagues are seeing after dealing with two suicide attempts that succeeded shortly before Friday’s rescue.
“Sarasota has only 65,000 people living in the city. We [had] two suicides in one day, and three days later, we have another one that, probably if we got there in three to four minutes later, they would end up being the third one in only like three days,” Banasiak said. “Please reach out, talk to someone, and take care of your mental health because [if] today is the day that you don’t feel well, but this will pass, it’s going to get better, and there’s a lot of help that we can offer.”
The Sarasota Police Department reminds residents that help is always available through local and national resources:
- National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Centerstone Crisis Services (local): (941) 782-4617