A video has been shared that appears to be from the climber, but its authenticity has yet to be confirmed. He used four, one each for his arms and legs, and had a spare strapped to his black backpack. According to the Associated Press (AP), the man identified himself to police as “Steve from Virginia” and said he wanted an audience with Republican nominee Donald Trump. He then had a notepad that he was briefly showing into the windows before dropping that too.
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The climber, whose identity and motive was not immediately known, was watched by a crowd of mesmerised onlookers, as well as reporters and police, who cordoned off the block between Fifth and Madison Avenues, a reporter said. Police tell ABC News that the video is being investigated.
Responding officers yanked the man into the building around 6:35 p.m. after knocking out a full window pane on the 21st floor. “The guy doesn’t appear to be here to do anything evil”, said an NYPD official. At the same time, he also said that the NYPD Emergency Services Unit is also the “best in the world at the what they do”. Live television footage showed uniformed officers reaching out and grabbing the young man – dressed in grey shorts, an olive T-shirt and white cap – around three hours after he started his ascent using five suction cups. Rescuers also deployed airbags in case the climber were to fall. Fortunately, those were not needed and they brought him inside the building safely.
The Trump campaign has not commented on the climber, but Trump Organization executive vice president, Michael Cohen, released a statement condemning the stunt.
The Republican presidential candidate responded via Twitter late Wednesday, writing, “Great job today by the NYPD (New York Police Department) in protecting the people and saving the climber”.
Traffic was shut down on Fifth Avenue during the incident.
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“To clear things up, this is NOT me trying to scale the Trump Tower in NYC”, Padalecki wrote in a caption accompanying a photo of the climber. “Be sure to get out and vote for Mr. Trump in the 2016 election”, says Steve (unconfirmed) in the video posted below. Stay with Eyewitness News and abc7NY for more on this breaking news story.
