Police talk 20-year-old out of committing suicide

AMMAN — Public Security Department (PSD) personnel on Saturday night succeeded in convincing a young man not to commit suicide in the capital, a PSD official said Sunday.

The PSD received information that a 20-year-old was attempting to jump off a building near the Interior Ministry Circle. In response, nearby patrols headed to the location, PSD Spokesperson Maj. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“PSD patrol personnel at the location spoke to the young man and convinced him to change his mind,” Sartawi said, adding that the process took around 30 minutes.

Civil Defence Department personnel were also present on site, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The spokesperson noted that the incident did not require special negotiators, unlike other cases.

“In such cases, those who try to kill themselves are asked about the motive behind their decision and are then referred to the administrative governor,” Sartawi said. 

The spokesperson had no information about the man’s motive in this case. Petra said he was taken to a nearby police station.

The 10-storey building, which is abandoned, has witnessed several suicide attempts in the past.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and the PSD described deserted buildings as a “headache” as they have become crime scenes and health hazards.

There are over 1,000 abandoned buildings in the capital, some of which provide shelter to drug dealers and users, and have been reported as scenes of sexual assaults and even murders, according to GAM.