UPDATE from the City of Santa Barbara. Today at 1:00 p.m., a man leapt to his death

[county worker]

http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=50556

Source: SBPD

The man who fell to his death yesterday from the Santa Barbara Courthouse Clock Tower is identified as Danny Lee McLaughlin, age 44, a resident of Santa Barbara. A family member told the SB Sheriff's Coroner that McLaughlin was depressed due to unemployment, financial issues, and personal matters. The family member had no idea that McLaughlin had contemplated taking his own life.

Public News: Psychological First Aid is being offered to anyone impacted by the suicide yesterday at the courthouse. (03/10/11)

http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=50486

By SB City Fire and Edhat Subscribers

1 p.m. Tuesday: Someone just jumped from the courthouse tower downtown, suicide attempt, CPR underway. Multi-agency law enforcement response.

UPDATE from the City of Santa Barbara. Today at 1:00 p.m., a man leapt to his death from the Clock Tower at the historic Santa Barbara Courthouse Building. Based on identification found with the body, the victim is tentatively identified as a 44-year-old Santa Barbara resident. The incident was witnessed by tourists, SB Sheriffs deputies, and other bystanders. Shortly before 1:00 p.m., three tourists up on the Clock Tower observation deck saw a man climb over the railing and stand on a narrow edge overlooking the Anacapa Street side of the Courthouse. The tourists called police for help. Several Sheriffs Deputies, who work in the Courthouse as court bailiff’s arrived to assist. Two of the more senior deputies went up the staircase, while other deputies stood below the Tower, ushering bystanders to move away to safety. Before the two deputies could make contact with the man or intervene, the man jumped off the tower. He landed on the grass lawn adjacent to the stone walkway that leads to the Courthouse entrance next to the visitor’s desk. A deputy who was urging people to move back was only several feet away from where the man fell. Deputies and emergency medical personnel attempted life saving treatment, but the man was soon pronounced deceased at the scene. The SB Coroner took possession of the body. The man’s identity is being withheld until next-of-kin has been notified.

[Angry Dragon]

1. I am afraid we will see more and more of this as the

American people are bleed even more

[PlanetBev]

2. I nearly saw the same thing at the clock tower 10 years ago

I had just walked out of the Santa Barbara museum with a friend, and there was a crowd gathered by the clock tower. There was a guy up there threatening to jump. People were standing around praying and begging him not to jump. We left after a while, it was just too intense to watch. Later on, I heard the cops talked him off the ledge and took him to the hospital.

[bobbolink]

3. "and took him to the hospital"

where he very likely was treated in a way that made him feel worse.