Downtown Las Vegas Police Standoff With Suicidal Man Ends With His Fatal Fall

Posted on: May 15, 2022, 08:42h. 

Last updated on: May 16, 2022, 12:23h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

An unnamed man fell from outside of a railing on a pedestrian bridge in downtown Las Vegas today (May 15). He later died at a local hospital from his injuries.

Emergency personnel are lifted near the bridge between the Neonopolis and a parking garage in downtown Las Vegas
Emergency personnel are lifted near the pedestrian bridge between the Neonopolis and a parking garage in downtown Las Vegas. A man later fell from the bridge. (Image: KSNV)

The man was standing by the railing on the bridge over Fremont Street that links the third level of Neonopolis and a parking garage. Neonopolis is a 250,0000-square-foot shopping mall and entertainment complex.

It appeared the man was suicidal, KLAS, a local TV station, reported. Initial reports did not say if the man ever told police he wanted to jump to Fremont Street below.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers first arrived at the site at about 8:45 am.

Officers tried to negotiate with the man so the incident could end safely and peacefully, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. They tried to get him to voluntarily come down from the bridge, KSNV, another local TV station, reported.

But the man fell later in the day. He was rushed to University Medical Center. He was declared dead at the hospital.

Las Vegas Boulevard Closed

The incident led to the closure of Las Vegas Boulevard between Ogden Street and Carson Avenue in both directions, KSNV reported. The road closure lasted several hours.

The Neonopolis location is very close to the Fremont Street Experience. The D Casino is close by, with the Fremont Hotel & Casino a few blocks away. Several other gaming properties are nearby.

Visitors to casinos were among those who found it difficult to travel to downtown gaming properties because of the police presence at the incident.

The Metro SWAT team was in charge of the operation.

Prior Incident

Last September, in an unrelated incident, a man jumped from the Strat Hotel, Casino & SkyPod in Las Vegas. He died from an apparent suicide, according to the Clark County Coroner’s office. The official cause of his demise was “blunt injuries,” the coroner’s office added.

He was a 30-year-old resident of Henderson, Nev., according to the Review-Journal. Metro police did not provide a reason for him jumping.

It appears he landed near a ground-level entranceway close to a sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard, according to Vital Vegas.

As police investigated the incident, cops closed off Las Vegas Boulevard in both directions between Bob Stupak Drive and St. Louis Avenue, according to KLAS.

If someone is struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide, local hotels have encouraged them to contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline of Nevada at 877-885-4673. Or the national suicide help line can be called at 800-273-8255.