NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A man who climbed up a tree in Queens in a bid to avoid police finally came down Friday afternoon after more than 48 hours.
Video shows the man walking down a ladder to a roof, where he grabs food and then walks back up. Then at about 5 p.m., he climbed back down and went into the adjacent building, according to police.
Police said the man has agreed to go for a psychiatric evaluation.
The bizarre situation dates back to 1 p.m. Wednesday outside a home near 226th Street and 145th Avenue in Brookville.
Video showed the man yelling to people down below. Negotiations were ongoing through Friday, police said.
The standoff all started during an apparent domestic dispute between the man and his mother Wednesday. When officers arrived, they realized there was a warrant for his arrest for an alleged assault, police said.
When police tried to serve the warrant, the man ran to the roof, then later to a tree, according to the NYPD.
A fire truck was brought in to try and get the man down Thursday afternoon, but it left without being used. Police also were on a nearby home's roof at one point, but they ended up going back inside.
A police chaplain had been doing some of the negotiations with the man, who she said is her neighbor. The chaplain, who is also a psychologist and a nurse, said this is a situation where police should've pulled back and let mental health professionals take the lead.
A relative and friend of the man said he was afraid of police after a cop allegedly maced him. Police didn’t immediately respond to the allegations.