WWSB ABC 7: Sarasota Police rescue man in crisis from ledge on parking garage

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota Police have released video of a dramatic rescue on the sixth floor of a parking garage. Several officers are credited with saving a man’s life and say mental health calls for help are increasing. On March 27, just after 2 a.m., officers responded to a call of a man in a crisis. The man was sitting in the window of a sixth floor of a local parking garage. Officer Machel Banasiak, responded first, telling ABC7 he was able to establish a rapport with the man, calming him down to the point where he was allowed to approach. Banasiak was able to quickly grab the man’s arms and pull him from the ledge. “My first thought was just grab him, get him off it, and make sure that he’s safe,” Banaciak said. “We are trained to the point of, like, bring that person to safety and bring him somewhere who is actually trained, so they can help him out.” Police say if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, resources are available that can help you. #SarasotaPolice #Sarasota #SRQ #Florida #LawEnforcement #SarasotaPD #Community