It was high drama at a HDB block in Jurong West last Sunday afternoon (April 28) when a man wielding a knife jumped from a 15-storey window and landed on the zinc roof of a makeshift shelter. 

He survived the fall and was taken to National University Hospital. 

The incident took place at Block 754 Jurong West Street 74. Before he jumped, the man had an hour-long standoff with the police, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

A 55-year-old resident surnamed Guo told the Chinese evening daily that she saw the man climb out the window and sit on the ledge. Several police officers and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were at the scene. 

SCDF firefighters had deployed a safety mattress below the block and an ambulance was parked nearby. 

An unnamed resident who lives on the 14th floor told Shin Min that he heard someone arguing and threatening to jump out of the block at about 4pm. 

Another resident on the 12th floor said that police and SCDF officers had asked to enter his home so they could deploy a safety net. 

"I heard a man yelling about betrayal and having to go to jail, but I'm couldn't make out what he saying exactly," he added. 

He could see that the man's left arm was bleeding profusely as he sat on the window ledge. The man had a knife in his hand.

"I don't know why he cut himself. The blood kept dripping down. There's even blood on our window ledge." 

The residents later heard a loud thud. 

Ye, 62, who lives on the second floor, said the man jumped and landed on the shelter, which serves as a storage area for construction materials — next to where the safety mattress was deployed. 

"I heard him screaming for help and he was later carried into the ambulance. I couldn't see how badly injured he was, but he was conscious," Ye added. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF said they received a call for assistance at about 4.20pm on Sunday. Although a safety net was deployed, SCDF rescuers did not rappel down to the unit in view of their safety. 

The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted at 3.30pm. When officers arrived at the unit, they found a 31-year-old man holding a knife and harming himself.

As the man was deemed to pose a danger to himself, officers from the Crisis Negotiation Unit and SCDF were activated.

He will be referred to psychiatric services under Section 7(1) of the Mental Health Act, said the police.

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claudiatan@asiaone.com

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