Man Jumps To His Death From Ledge At Hollywood & Highland Shopping Center – Updated

Tom Tapp
·3 min read

UPDATED with latest: Despite 5 hours of work by firefighters and mental health professionals, a distraught man jumped to his death from a ledge atop the Hollywood & Highland shopping center.

A Los Angeles Fire department statement indicated the man “plummeted to his death in an area where LAFD’s rescue air cushion was not able to access. LAFD firefighter-paramedics were on scene to render aid, if necessary, but the man was beyond medical help.”

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The man’s presence atop a ledge, which appeared to be located between the Dolby and the TCL Chinese Theaters, was first alerted by authorities shortly after 8:30 a.m.

It’s not the first time that Hollywood Boulevard has been closed because a man threatened to jump to the street below the Dolby sign.

Hollywood Boulevard was closed just days before the Oscars there in February 2020 as the Fire Department tried to reach an adult male described as a potential “jumper” who is sitting on scaffolding about 30 feet above the street. That incident ended at an impasse, and emergency officials withdrew about 2 a.m. in hopes the man would climb down on his own.

PREVIOUSLY at noon: Hollywood Boulevard was shut down Friday morning between Highland and Orange as a man threatened to jump from a ledge near the entrance to the Dolby and the TCL Chinese Theaters. That, according to a report and video from ABC7.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the rescue operation at 6801 Hollywood Blvd, which is the address for the Hollywood & Highland shopping center that houses the Dolby.

An LAFD alert stated that, at 8:32 a.m., there was “an adult male threatening to jump from ~60 feet above street level.” The alert went on to say that firefighters had an air cushion set up below the person and that “LAFD has set up a two line rope system and are ready with harnesses to secure mental health professionals for safety approaching patient to help address an apparent behavioral emergency.”

LAFD said 30 firefighters had ben deployed for what was predicted to be “an extended operation”

Per ABC7:

Video from AIR7 HD appeared to show first responders talking to the man as he sat along a ledge high above the front entrance of the Dolby Theatre, which faces Hollywood Boulevard. The busy street was closed to all traffic as the tense situation unfolded.

ABC did now show video of the man.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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