Toronto police chief facing backlash for sharing video of apparent attempted suicide

A video shared on social media by Toronto’s police chief of a man appearing to attempt suicide from an eighth-floor window has caught the ire of many online who say it violates that person’s privacy.

Police Chief James Ramer took to Twitter on Thursday sharing a video of what appears to show two officers assisting and holding a man dangling outside the apartment building window.

Ramer said in the tweet that officers held the man for 12 minutes and brought him to safety. He was eventually taken to hospital to “get the help he needs,” Ramer added.

“Our officers were treated and released for minor injuries,” the police chief wrote in a follow-up tweet.

The video, which as of Friday had been viewed just under 80,000 times, has not been received well by the public, with many Twitter users deeming it inappropriate and unfair to the victim and his family.

“If someone I loved was in the depth of crisis, the last thing I’d want is for anyone to share incident footage, or boast about the support they provided, on social media,” wrote Toronto councillor Josh Matlow.

I also want to acknowledge our police, firefighters and EMS. Their actions today were nothing less than remarkable and heroic. They literally put themselves in harm’s way to save a life.

— Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) May 13, 2021

“I’d want that person, that person in pain, to receive care and that their privacy be respected.”

Matlow thanked and praised first responders for their “heroic” actions in saving the man’s life.

Another Twitter user wrote, “What about the privacy of this man? This video is SO inappropriate to be sharing.”

“I would assume the person’s intention was to die so they probably were not thinking about being put on public media,” wrote one user on social media.

“A person in that sort of emotional pain deserves their dignity. I live in one of those damn hotels and we lose almost a person a week here.”

Some, however, praised Ramer’s decision to share and upload the video, claiming it brings positive attention to mental health and the struggles that come with it.

“Kudos to the officers for their brave service today. I am happy that the person in crisis gets to have the chance to get help. Hoping for the best for them,” wrote one user on Twitter.

“Thank you! We do have hero’s in Toronto,” said another.

Ramer said all Toronto police officers are trained for dynamic emergency calls and to save lives.

“I’m extremely proud of their bravery. We couldn’t have done this without the help of onsite security, thank you for your assistance.”