NYPD cop shares heartbreaking audio of him coaxing a woman off the ledge of a 58-story building
Nicholas' genuine empathy, coupled with his fellow officers' fast thinking, helped prevent a needless tragedy in Brooklyn
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of suicide that some readers may find distressing.
Police officers are trained to be tough and thick-skinned, but not every case requires them to use force. Sometimes, instead of the force, they need empathy. On May 9, 2026, the New York City Police Department (@nypd) shared footage on Instagram of how officers rescued a 41-year-old suicidal woman who was dangling at the edge of a glass partition on a Brooklyn skyscraper. The incident occurred on May 7, 2026, around 1:30 pm, as reported by Eyewitness News ABC7NY (@abc7NY).
A silent call for help
It started when someone saw the woman hanging off the ledge of the 58-story Avalon Willoughby Square building and asked her if everything was okay. She broke down and started sobbing. That's when the person called 911, and officers immediately rushed to the scene, gently calling out to get her attention. “Ma’am, don’t do it. Please don’t do it, ma’am,” they said. The footage showed her sitting extremely close to the outer ledge, on the other side of a glass partition separating the supposed balcony from the ledge. One officer kept talking to her to keep her attention engaged. Introducing himself as Nicholas, he asked for her name and permission to approach her.
Her last message
The woman wept while mumbling in a painful tone, “Tell my mom and dad that I love them.” The officer, Nicholas, approached her, firmly held her hand, and said, “We care about you. We don’t want to see you hurt yourself, OK? Listen, whatever you're going through, we can try to fix it. […] Anything is better than this.” As they kept talking to her, a crew from the Emergency Service Unit (ESU) arrived and quickly set up their equipment. One officer then climbed over the glass railing and stood beside the woman. During this time, the woman's partner had called her mom and informed her of the incident. Instantly, the officers connected with her and put her on the speaker from where she plied her daughter with soft words like, "You are loved," pleading for her to not take her life.
One line made her stop
While trying to calm her, the officer reassured her, saying, “We are going to get through this together, okay? We can sit here for ten minutes. We can sit here for half an hour, I just want to make sure... look at me in my eyes... I want to make sure you're okay. I will personally help you.” He then asked her whether they could go back over the partition. She shook her head and continued to sob, but he stayed with her, holding her arm and keeping her engaged. "Listen, look where we're at. We're at... we have the best view in the city!" he said, trying to shift her focus. Slowly, she responded to their words, and in that moment, the officers were able to pull her back over the ledge and bring her to safety.
The officers' response
"When she reached out to me and grabbed my hand I knew that she didn't want to take her own life and she wanted to be heard. She wanted help," an officer said after being asked to detail how he knew it was going to be okay. All three officers interviewed by ABC spoke in a way that honored the 41-year-old woman, never belittling her tragic mental state. Their words truly showed that genuine care makes a difference like no other tactic.
Empathy is key
As this incident also revealed, a 2026 study published in Psychiatry Online found that the ability of police officers to express empathy is highly exaggerated under high-stress and tense situations, as reported by 57.3% of officers out of a survey of 177. The study also mentioned that apart from other forms of training, the specialized Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training led to a significant increase in empathy quotients of the officers. Another study published in PLOS ONE reported that 95% of the surveyed police officers report high exposure to suicidal cases in their career, precisely 10 or more.
Appreciation from viewers
Viewers couldn't stop lauding the brave officers who saved the woman’s life. @klkjorge, for instance, commented, “This badge ain’t just about arrests and enforcement. Sometimes it’s about being there at the right moment to save somebody from their worst day. Salute, brother.” @riki_g15 said, “In that moment, he wasn’t just an officer, he was a human being showing genuine care and compassion for another person. This man truly cares.”
If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is, please contact The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
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