MANHATTAN, NY. (WSVN) – A man accused of wire fraud is now in police custody after tense moments in Manhattan, New York, Wednesday.
Ian Mitchell, 35, allegedly once posed as the scion of a wealthy Jamaican family and scammed investors out of thousands of dollars with reports of fraudulent acts dating back to 2015.
Mitchell broke a window inside an apartment 31 floors above the sidewalk as police tried to arrest him. Video showed him sitting on the window with his legs dangled over the edge. Bystanders watched from the ground as he refused to go inside.
“We intervened with the man in crisis. Tried to speak to him, tried to talk him out of it,” said NYPD Emergency Services Unit Detective James Tobin.
Traffic was stopped and emergency responders blocked the street as they inflated a giant mattress in case Mitchell decided to jump.
After hours of failed negotiations with the suspect, Tobin decided to climb out a window one floor above and repel down the side of the building where seconds later he rescued the suspect.
“I was able to guide him into the window where my teammates were able to take him into custody,” said Tobin.
The suspect was covered in a white blanket as police took him away.
“Feels great to save someone,” said Tobin.
The rescue was recognized by the heads of the police department.
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