2016's hottest Halloween costume? #ManInTree pic.twitter.com/J7WkoejwTG
— Austin Santiago (@AuzSantiago) March 23, 2016
Have you been following the #ManInTree ordeal? At some point yesterday morning, the above pictured man climbed the iconic 80-foot sequoia tree located in front of a downtown Seattle Macy's store and posted up. Police, fearing the man was suicidal, quickly shut down the streets surrounding the tree, and attempted to talk him down. He seemed to be, well, upset about something. Now, more than 24 hours later, the Seattle Times is reporting that the unidentified 28-year-old man has finally climbed down.
#ManInTree is now on the ground and in contact with police. Officers still in speaking w/ him and working to safely resolve this incident.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 23, 2016
According to the Seattle Police Department, officers received reports of a man perched atop the tree shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday. "During early attempts to contact the man, who appears to be suffering from a crisis, he threw an apple, branches, pine cones and other items at officers on the street below, and claimed to be armed with a knife," reads the police statement.
VIDEO: Seattle #ManInTree ran out of apples, so he is throwing pine cones and branches https://t.co/KDpaGUU46o -https://t.co/wPNAjvcSlk
— KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) March 22, 2016
Traffic impacts continue arnd 4/Stewart as negotiators work to talk man down from tree w/assistance of @SeattleFire pic.twitter.com/jaduW6Akfi
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 22, 2016
And so up in the tree he remained, all through the night and into the morning — his internet popularity, fueled in part by a (amazing, we might add) livestream of the ordeal by local station KOMO, growing the entire time.
Soooo.. 3 times more people are watching our https://t.co/7x3LIf3rhR live stream of #manintree than @HillaryClinton campaign stop in Everett
— Nathan Wilson KOMO (@WilsoNews) March 22, 2016
The punny SPD Twitter account didn't really help things, either.
@shriekhouse We're branching out.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 22, 2016
Even The New York Times apparently tuned in to the livestream at one point this morning, transcribing the early morning musings of KOMO broadcaster Theron Zahn.
Is there a metaphor in all of this? Like, the rest of us, in our own way, would like to climb a tree and be left alone? That’s what I think. Maybe all of us, in our own lives, with the stress of the world and everything, you just want to go up in a tree and hang out with the birds, and not be bothered.
According to Alison Grande, a reporter with Seattle's KIRO-TV, the Seattle Police Department does not plan to arrest the man following the completion of a mental health evaluation.
The moment Seattle's #manintree came down: https://t.co/TsVYuzugbO
— Mashable (@mashable) March 23, 2016
Related: Video: Seattle Dog Takes Public Transit To Park By Herself