Man suffering mental health crisis talked off Gainesville parking deck ledge by police

May 18—Police say a man experiencing a mental health crisis Thursday had to be talked off the ledge on the top floor of the parking deck at 301 Main St. in downtown Gainesville.

Sgt. Jessica Van of the Gainesville Police Department said the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. after concerned bystanders called 911.

Van said she did not know the nature of the man's mental health crisis.

"I just know that there was somebody sitting up there on the ledge," she said, adding that he was taken to Avita Community Health Partners, an organization that helps people struggling with mental illness.

It was the second time in five months emergency officials responded to a mental health crisis at a downtown parking deck.

In January, a 17-year-old boy hung from the top of the north parking deck in a possible attempt to take his own life.

Emergency officials were able to pull the teen to safety.

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