Hart Building Non-Jumper


Photo of Hart Atrium courtesy hellek23d

Some drama over at the Hart Senate Office Building when a suicidal middle-aged Chinese man threatened to jump from the seventh floor of the building atrium.

Capitol and DC Metro Police were on the scene in a standoff that lasted from 6PM last night to 2AM early this morning, with a large cushion inflated on the ground floor of the atrium in case he did jump. Thankfully, with negotiation help from a Mandarin translator, the man was talked down and did not jump.

Sergeant-at-Arms Terry Gainer issued the following notice to Senate staff, as seen on Capitolist:

The ongoing incident in the Hart Building is serious and being managed well by the Capitol Police. While there is no danger to any staff in the building, overly curious staff pose a potential danger to the person being investigated and to the police officers attempting to resolve the incident. First, if you have an office which faces the interior of the Hart building, close your blinds/curtains. Staff must not watch this incident from interior office windows and the atrium area of the Hart building.

More details from CHPD USCP coming later this morning.

Update: WaPo reports that Yuan Fang, 66, was arrested for disorderly conduct after coming down from the ledge.

Roving Asian mendicant, can occasionally be seen wandering the streets of downtown Washington, muttering unintelligible gibberish to passers-by while pushing a “bag lady” shopping cart full of old blankets, American flags, soda cans, and healthy secondhand snacks from organic food shop dumpsters. Used to live in a cardboard box at 16th and K but the rent was too expensive.

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