Jorge Ruiz, The Thwarted 30 Rock Jumper, Saved By Heroic Emergency Services Unit (VIDEO)

The NYPD released new footage today of the man who attempted to commit suicide by jumping off of 30 Rockefeller Center.

23-year-old Jorge Ruiz brought midtown to a standstill last Wednesday when he ascended to the 70th floor of the 30 Rock building, home of NBC Studios, and threatened to jump.

After a tense hour during which Ruiz taunted onlookers by repeatedly standing up and sitting back down on the ledge , officers were finally able to subdue him and bring him back to safety.

Jorge Ruiz later told police that he suffers from schizophrenia and was upset that a book he wrote wouldn't be published.

Sources also told The New York Post that Ruiz, a tourist from Las Vegas, had threatened to kill himself twice before, once in a similar attempt from atop Las Vegas' 1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower. The other attempt was in Los Angeles but details of that incident haven't yet been made available.

Watch below as a police officer dives after Ruiz before he can make the fatal plunge.

It's been an unfortunately exciting, but heroic, few months for members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit.

They saved a jumper on the Williamsburg Bridge back in May (see the photos here) and in June they saved a woman from jumping off a Lower East Side building (see that dramatic footage here).

[VIA]

Comments

[Abelardo Perez]

02:27 AM on 08/29/2011

heroic? he's doing his job! that's what he gets paid to do, it's in the job description.

[GirlInNYC]

11:15 PM on 08/20/2011

Why is mental illness always assumed? I always think it's work-related. In this economy, many who worked hard and climbed the ladder are facing losing it all. And with that comes a loss of good credit, a quality of life and self worth. Not to mention discrimination against the unemployed by employers. So if someone can't take that, I wouldn't view their decision to exit as a mental illness as much as a response to impending doom. That said, maybe they'll give it another day. Pray and believe. It only takes the faith of a mustard seed.

[krayonc]

05:14 PM on 08/18/2011

That cop has Spideyskillz. Nice move. Atta boy...stay safe.

[Max Shaw]

12:42 PM on 08/18/2011

Maybe he'll get A BOOK published now after his latest publicity stunt...they say the third time is the charm!

[see-ellen2001]

12:52 AM on 08/18/2011

Don't wish someone in such distress or stricken with a mental illness that he jump to his death. One day it could be you or someone you care about. Good job, officers.

[Bobio]

09:31 PM on 08/17/2011

Let's cut his the cops pension so our taxes won't go up.

[JL-Sosa]

09:22 PM on 08/17/2011

True freedom is letting a weakling kill himself if he so desires.

[grammasher]

11:07 AM on 08/18/2011

You'[re sick.

[JL-Sosa]

01:32 PM on 08/18/2011

If you don't have enough common sense in your head to realize that each individuals life is their OWN, then you are the sick one.

[FrictionSoul]

07:12 PM on 08/17/2011

Nice move. Too bad the guy couldn't jump to his death. Too good that the cop stopped him as he most likely would've killed others. 30 Rock is one busy place, second only to Time Square.

[SasquatchBillionaire]

08:53 PM on 08/17/2011

Wishing he jumped, then immediately saying it's good he didn't... Yeah, anyone suffering enough to wish they didn't exist, they don't deserve anything. Okay