Who is the 25-Year-Old Man Refusing to Come Down from a 300-Foot Radio Tower?
- Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:27pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
- Print »
- Email »
We are now at day six of an odd standoff in Tulsa, OK, where a man has been holding himself up atop the 300-foot Clear Channel radio tower in Tulsa, Okla. And now we know who he is: 25-year-old William Sturdivant II.
It is apparently the Tulsa Police Department’s longest standoff ever, and they have tried everything to coax Sturdivant down — from offering food and water, to playing video tapes of his parents — to no avail. This man will not budge.
But why? Who is William Sturdivant II and what would posses him to take up residence on top of a radio tower for some 116 hours and counting?
Well, as we dig a little deeper, it turns out Sturdivant might have had a rather unorthodox past, in addition to being faced with several serious life-altering events.
According to local Fox23, Sturdivant was recently released from prison in April, where he served time for burglary and drug possession.
Blake Stevens, a close friend who grew up with Sturdivant and played basketball with him in high school, believes Sturdivant is going through a rough patch.
“He was real ambitious about whatever he did,” Stevens told Fox23. So ambitious in fact, that Sturdivant’s friends assert he actually walked from Tulsa to Dallas and back to Tulsa again. And while friends cite the reason being determination and endurance, police suspect Sturdivant suffers from mental illness. But those closest to the man on the tower have yet to confirm or deny those claims.
But as to motivation, Stevens believes that Sturdivant is preoccupied and feels he has few people in his life who care about him. In addition, Fox reports that Surdivant’s time in prison caused him to separate from his own son, while having yet another baby on the way. This, combined with finding out that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer, might have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back for the young Tulsa man.
“I just think he’s hurting right now,” said Stevens.
Meanwhile, police have tried nearly everything to convince Sturdivant to come down, but just when they think they are making progress, a passerby or heckler will yell at Sturdivant, causing him to retreat into his shell and hunker down on his tower even more determined than before.
“We’ve sent the bucket up many times to go next to him, and he moves. He threatens to jump if we come closer,” said Perkins.
The concern is the Sturdivant’s body will not be able to hold out much longer.
But the police are remaining steadfast. “We need to be patient. This gentleman’s life is worth something. This is what we’re here for. This is our job,” said Perkins in another Fox23 report:
“The longest anyone has found so far has been about five hours, so this is a pretty unprecedented standoff,” says Perkins.
Right now, negotiators are using every possible way to safely coach Sturdivant off the tower.
“We did give him some water and a cell phone. We’ve used a number of ways to communicate with him,” says negotiator Tom Milburn.
“We’ve played tapes of his family addressing how much they care and how much concern they have and they want him to be safe,” says Milburn.
Perkins says they’ve even consulted with other negotiation teams around the country as well.
“We’ve bounced things off of people. We‘ve asked them if they have any other ideas and they say we’re pretty much right on path, and we’ve used pretty much all the strategies they can come up with based on his profile,” he says.
And Milburn thinks that offering food and water to the clearly disturbed young man while he is on the tower will only recharge Sturdivant for the even longer-haul:
“In the sense that he‘s in great danger as long as he’s up in the tower, what we want to accomplish is to maybe leverage his thirst to get him to come down,” says Milburn.
The special operations team has been in constant contact with the medical director for the state of Oklahoma.
He tells them the strategy that is being used right now of telling Sturdivant that it’s time to come down to get water and food is exactly what should be done.
By refueling him up on the tower it will only make the process longer.
And Tulsa’s NewsOn6 brings us the report on day six on the tower:
Whatever the reasons are behind this bizarre and drastic move, one wonders what Sturdivant hopes to gain by remaining on the tower and how this will all end.
UPDATE
Authorities were finally able to able to convince Sturdivant to come down from the tower at around 6:30 p.m. local time. IBT reports:
25-year-old William Sturdivant II, had sat on the Clear Channel radio tower since 11a.m. on Thursday before he finally stepped into a bucket attached to a ladder truck with negotiator Tyrone Lynn around 6:30 p.m. local time. It put an end to the city’s longest ever standoff that put a retired police negotiator back in action and captivated the nation.
Several times throughout the afternoon viewers watching the live stream of events from local station NewsOn6 waited anxiously as Sturdivant locked arms with the negotiator, shaking hands, and even stepping into the bucket for a sip of water. Several times it seemed that the ordeal would end, yet the saga dragged on until the early evening.
“He started to pass out and I had to grab him to keep him from falling, so for a minute there he was just completely out so I was just holding on to him then he kind of snapped back into it and then we started over again,” Lynn told local ABC station KTUL.
“We finally assured him that you know everybody down here was routing for him and that this was a day that he can win and we forgive him and nobody’s upset with him and that when we got down we were going to get him some help,” Lynn added.
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 591 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 415 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 386 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 376 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 415 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 386 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know 100 Comments- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 417 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (141)
Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:50pmpack up and quite wasting man-hours on this loser… he will come down.. one way or another!
Report Post »cavyR
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:26pmI can’t say it any better!!!
Report Post »101
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:48pmUse something non-lethal like rubber bullets, bean bags or taser him he’ll come down
Report Post »Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:59pmCRUNCH
Report Post »why don’t you take your bleeding liberal heart arse out to tulsa, climb up on that tower and give your buddy a big love hug? PS.. wouldn’t want you around during a fight either. i’d have to kill you first before you got me killed, coward!!
rangerp
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:06pmgive me a pellet rifle, and I will get him down real quick.
Report Post »RIGHT2ARMBEARS
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:11pmAGREED. Big net and a tranquilizer dart. Works for dumb bears.
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:12pmPlease say a prayer for this troubled, lost soul. He needs our love and compassion. Not callousness and indifference.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:39pmI might have a bleeding heart at times but I have never ben called a liberal before. Thanks for letting me know in advance. I’ll be sure to watch my back with one eye on the lookout for you.
Report Post »101
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:43pmHe came down on his own…dag nab it
Report Post »chazman
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:58pm… I say send the SNOWLEOPARD up that tower with her ‘artwork.‘ William sees the ’artwork’ and becomes nauseated. William comes down immediately, throwing up all over his rubber room as the cops close the door behind him. No more problem …
Report Post »rl
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:35pmAgreed…. no one out there and no TV coverage…. He would have been down in a day….
Report Post »Shiroi Raion
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:37pmI think it’s safe to assume that Marengo is a Liberal troll. He’s done nothing aside from spew hateful comments. He’s here to try to make Blaze readers look bad and to spread his hatred.
Report Post »I would ban people like him.
Secret Squirrel
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:52pm.
Report Post »Exactly.
Stop the media coverage, tell the cops to leave, and the fun will be over.
Nobody can go without sleep and food forever.
Secret Squirrel
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:55pm.
Look at the top picture.
See that thing that looks like a broom to his right?
That’s called an ion dissapator.
It bleeds off a charge during a lightning storm.
I’d come down when the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
Report Post »Public Enema
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 11:38pmShiroi Raion
Report Post »So you would limit his speach because you dont like what he was saying? hmmmm? Do you work for the city of san fran….sounds like you woul fit in nicely.
ecurbyy
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 12:11amOh. He’ll be down to vote.
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 12:18amObviously this dude has mental problems and needs help.
That said, what a phony headline. He’s not ATOP the 300 ft tower, so why create a false impression just for the sake of sensationalism?
Report Post »ying
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 12:51amThe only reason he stayed up there for so long is because he saw the news vans. He probably was about to come down, but changed his mind when he realized all the attention he was getting and then decided to enjoy it. They live for attention. Even their emotions change from normal and not caring to ridiculously sad when news vans approach after a murder in their neighborhoods.
Report Post »one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 8:54amWho is the 25-Year-Old Man Refusing to Come Down from a 300-Foot Radio Tower?
WHO CARES ???
Report Post »ZengaPA65
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 9:19amExactly, he’s an attention whore.
Report Post »vanman4446
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 8:49pmWho cares about these nut jobs. They just should have left him alone until he fell, rather than wasting all this time, TV and money on him
Report Post »trenton edwards
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:46pmsad
Report Post »chazman
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:57pm@SHIROI
… if you knew Marengo, Ohio, you would know that ‘liberals ’ don’t live within 30 miles of that town.
Report Post »In Marengo, they are your best friends, or your worst enemies … watch out who you call a troll.
Slowman101
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:40pmWow, all these negative and spiteful comments. I feel sorry for the poor guy. He is obviously having some issues. He needs help, not hate and sarcasm.
Report Post »chazman
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:51pmDammit! You get down here right now! The hell’s the matter with you? Hurry up, or I’m gonna whop you with a knotted plow line!! Dam kids!!
Report Post »Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:52pmneed some cheese to go with that whine!
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:33pmI agree, if he lost his son (by way of contacting him) and his mother was diagnosed with cancer, he’s hurting. A weird way to show it, but it’s a form of seeking sympathy. If he really wanted to commit suicide, he would have already.
Report Post »Larryjr
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:42pmWe are obligated in many respects to be a caring society. If this were happening in several other countries I can think of, this guy would probably be shot so he wouldn’t waste the authorities time.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:40pmHe just put sand paper on the rough patch.
Good job to the first responders for hanging in there with him. My prayers go out to the young man.
Report Post »trenton edwards
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:29pmit shocks me to read all of these comments! you all sound like libs to me. the man has done his time for his crimes and right now he is in need of the almighty. people can change you know or maybe you dont? christ will judge us all him,me,and yes even you. that’s the problem with our country everyone thinks about themselves and the heck with everyone else. next time it could be you losing everything thats close to your heart. yep, sounds just like libs to me. tonight when i pray for this young man i’ll throw a good word in for you folks too!
Report Post »hp19hp19
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:06pmChrist starts with a “C” not a “c.” Just a reminder. I’m praying for him now. He’s looks in good shape. Some MMA trainer should take him under his wing. Could be a good career for a “crazy” MMA fighter. He’s already partly famous. If he’s as determined as they say, he should jump into some training. (Hard message to send from the bucket though.) Anyway, join me in praying for him?
Report Post »Public Enema
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 11:43pmNope…MMA is great but when this guy comes down the PO-Lice will taze him snatch him up and throw him in the clink…then when he gets out the will sue him for the money they wasted on him. his future looks bleak on the ground. Id stay right there …and ask for a nice cold one
Report Post »ezeewhiz
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:23pmJump or decide to be a man!
Report Post »semihardrock
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:22pmThis STUNT was part of the Stimulas Bill!
THIS GUY just “Saved and Created” at least 25 jobs! Just think about…… the 911 Operator received the call, the phone company who made the call, the local gas station who filled the tanks of all the Emergency Vehicle used in the Operation, The lights ON the Emergency Vehicles, The Policemen, The Firefighters called to the scene, The EMS Unit, The Psychologist, The Newspaper Articles which are written and ALL the National Media coverage and all the people involved in Television Stations…..
THIS MAN SHOULD BE ELECTED PRESIDENT! This guy “Saved and Created” thousands of jobs as he was told to do AS part of the Stimulas Bill!
Report Post »susieq529
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:05pmIf your trying to be funny its not working asshat
Report Post »cavyR
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:30pmI think it’s really funny. ROFLMFAO
Report Post »Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:45pmsusie, what is an asshat????
Report Post »RIGHT2ARMBEARS
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:15pmYES – I‘d love add your ’ass hat’ to my collection.
Report Post »And the humane thing to do is bring him down fast before he falls – dummy.
Ookspay
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:19pm“They tried bribing him down with food and water”, have they tried a crack pipe and a 40?
Report Post »Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:53pmLMFA Off!!!
Report Post »susieq529
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:07pmYou must be a repuke or ****** yuk
Report Post »mwhaley
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:08pmrotflmao
Report Post »salvawhoray
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:15pmfly over and drop a bunch of baby oil and see how long he can hang on. lol
Report Post »BrerRabbit
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:10pmIf everyone would just leave and ignore the freak he would come down. He is loving all the attention. Just like a 2 year throwing a fit. Walk away.
Report Post »FlowerBell
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:20pmYou are right. If he is causing no harm to the property the best action is to just leave him alone. He will eventually come down or stay up and die of thirst, his choice.
Report Post »All the attention is morphing a harmless situation into a crisis-drama. Why is such idiotic nonsense even reported on the news?
leftcoastslut
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:06pmkind of hard to be an exconvict and try to get a decent job. are you kidding, with unemployment in the inner cities approaching 20%……….President Obama, this is your fault. If this man has nothing to live for, nothing to give his son and new baby, no hope, no change, POTUS, you own this and i’m sure their is more dispair around this country that the left wing media does not report.
Report Post »Jake in Denver
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:04pm“Do a backflip!” – Bender
Report Post »mcellu
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:57pmif he is mentally ill, then I feel badly for him. But I think the authorities have done their best. Why anyone feels the need to heckle him, I don’t know. Leave him alone and he’ll come home.
Report Post »thynkr
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:56pmNice compassion some of you are expressing. Is this really how people thynk these days? This clearly shares he’s been facing some very serious matters. Yes he’s made mistakes in life…..none of you have? Maybe he does just need some real friends, and someone to care about whatever his hurts are inside. Maybe if everyone, police included, would simply leave him be, he would come down in his own due time. So he trespassed….big deal. Could have been worse you know. Just let the man have some time, and maybe some help to sort out his thoughts and how to deal with whats troubling him. He probably just climbed up there to get away from everything for a bit, as I doubt he advertised ahead of time he was going up there. What has anyone to lose by extending some compassion? Again, what if it was you who were troubled and you felt you had nowhere to turn? I’ve been there before, and it sucks. I’m very normal, yet life can sometimes become overly stressful or challenging for anyone, and when it is, we can be a tad odd in how we try to find ways to deal with it. Cut the guy some slack, and maybe try caring for one another a little more often, even though what you thynk you see may not make alot of sense to you at the time. Until you’ve walked in his specific shoes, how or what do you know what he’s feeling? Remember: treat others (and thynk of others) as you’d wish to be treated (and thought of) =)
Report Post »concealled9mms
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:23pmhey why dont you take this guy into your house and care for him. sounds like you are full of compassion heres a chance to do something good for your fellow man. take in some illegals to . in fact if all you bleeding heart liberals would take in people like this the problem would be solved.
Report Post »thynkr
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 8:32pmSo, I guess you’re suggesting that only liberals can have compassion?….according to the way your reply to me was worded. Which then if I apply the next logical step, You would be also suggesting that at least you, as a conservative ar enot compassionate toward others, and maybe you‘re suggesting that other conservatives aren’t either….or shouldn’t be?
Well, let me set this record very straight. I am as Conservative as they get, to the point of being Ultra Conservative. Yet I also believe in giving people a break when hard-times hit. I’ve been through very rough times, and it taught me what compassion should really be, when people took time to really help me. Maybe you should try it sometimes, rather than suggesting someone must just be a liberal?
Report Post »sabrinacle
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:52pmthe more attention he gets the longer this goes on. They should just put some bumpers down like the kind they use for professional stuntment and leave him be
Report Post »melmatmic
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:49pmPut some inflatable air bags on the ground and a web cam so the dispatcher can call the ambulance if he falls and quit wasting time on him. How many man hours are being wasted here.
Report Post »DarkFire
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:54pmYAHOO HAS BEEN HACKED! you herd it here first.
Report Post »ares338
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:42pmHe’ll come down eventually….one way or another! No worries.
Report Post »pschlentz
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:51pmThis is like the cat in the tree wives-tale, ever see a cat skeleton in a tree???
Report Post »Love that one!
DarkFire
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:40pm$19.99 i would pay to watch a live feed of him jumping, i do not feel bad for him. I don’t care if he falls, jumps or climbs down. What i do care about is him sucking money out of the system right now. I feel for the tax payers right now they are footing the bill for him to play monkey man on a tower. So yeah if i were the city i would put it on pay-per-view and make up for the lost money he is sucking from the tax payers right now.
Report Post »The_Outlaw
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:38pmMay I suggest a tranquilizer gun and a large trampoline??
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:38pmmy first thought is why on earth we dont shoot his butt off of their with a large dose of bear transquilizer. act like an animal be treated like one.
Report Post »concealled9mms
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:35pmJust a miss guided liberal
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:35pm“He was real ambitious about whatever he did.” Like burglary and doing drugs? Great guy.
Report Post »felix
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:34pmwho cares – tell to jump
Report Post »Marci
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:34pmOh my. Enough is enough. Get the man down from there. If they are that close to him, they can get to him. Do we have to send the SEALS in?
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:39pmNot seal team…send in the clowns. Let the fool jump.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:33pmMr. Stupid?
Report Post »The_Outlaw
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:32pmLeave him be…He’ll come down on his own when he gets tired and hungry enough. If he falls to his death…Oh well! Too bad, so sad for him!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:36pmNo kidding, buzzards have to eat too.
Report Post »