Jottings from the Granite Studio

As I look out my window here in Beijing, I can see directly across the street to the roof of the local police station where a woman has perched herself on a narrow ledge and is threatening to jump. The police are in full scramble mode with officers below clearing the street and a few on the roof yelling at her. She’s been there for the better part of an hour.

She’s so hysterical, I can’t make out what the problem is or why she’s out there.

Needless to say, this has become THE EVENT in my little neighborhood with everyone pouring out of the complex to watch and laugh. It’s all quite horrifying really. She doesn’t seem serious, but who really knows, and the level of mirth by my neighbors at this woman’s expense has been quite appalling.
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UPDATE 2:15 p.m.
She’s still out there and now has a cellphone. Also there is a fellow in plain clothes on the roof of the station taking many pictures of my building (across the street) and the lane below while jotting notes down in his notebook. The police are trying to keep the street clear, but without much success.
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UPDATE 3:11
Sometime between 2:30 and 2:45, the woman fell/jumped. At 2:30, the fire department showed up and I thought the crisis would soon be over, but fifteen minutes later I looked out my window and saw that she had fallen to the sidewalk below. At around 3:00, an ambulance finally arrived. Why medical personnel weren’t called before that is beyond me.

As she was put into the ambulance, she appeared to be alive but unconscious, and seemed in pretty bad shape. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers here are with the woman and her family. Still no idea what precipitated the crisis.

There remains quite a large crowd of bystanders watching and pointing.

Sad day in Dongzhimen.