A man climbed to the top of the WAMU radio tower on American University’s campus around 4 p.m. Monday, prompting a large-scale emergency response and an ongoing effort by police to bring him down safely.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, remains approximately 300 feet above the ground as of Tuesday morning. Authorities say they do not yet know his motivations.
American University is open today, following a “shelter in place” order yesterday for students. Students have been told to stay away from the tower area which is near the athletic fields on campus.
D.C. police and fire crews quickly arrived on scene shortly after the climb began. A sizable response from D.C. Fire and EMS included tower specialists and aerial rescue teams, but officials scaled back the fire department’s presence around 8 p.m. as police negotiators took over.
The tower, located near the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues NW, sits on the northwestern edge of American University’s campus. University officials said that while the tower is not generally accessible to students or the public, campus security is assisting with crowd control and safety measures. WAMU radio, along with WTOP and two other stations use the tower for their signals in the Washington, D.C. area.
Police have cordoned off the area around the tower and are urging residents to avoid the scene.
Officials have not indicated whether the man has any affiliation with the university or the radio station.
As of Tuesday morning, negotiators remain in contact with him. No injuries have been reported.
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