A naked man climbed the TKTS booth at Times Square as commuters made their way to work during rush hour on Thursday morning.
According to police, the man appeared to be emotionally disturbed, and first responders took him to Bellevue Hospital after he jumped from the rear ledge of the famous red staircase. He will undergo psychiatric evaluation, NYPD Officer Brian Magoolaghan told CNN.
Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said the man jumped three stories. He broke his arm.
“We actually engaged him in conversation for about 50 minutes. Tried to talk him down,” Boyce said. “We deployed an airbag thinking he might jump in, at which point we ordered another airbag because it didn’t cover the entire area.”
The man jumped into an area with nothing to cushion his fall.
Witnesses who gathered around the area were quick to take to social media, documenting the man jumping, dancing and running from the police.
Another person live streamed the incident on Periscope (NSFW), garnering more than 20,000 views.
When asked whether any charges would be filed, Boyce said, “When he is released we will charge him with indecent exposure because he was naked.”