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NYPD Nabs Man Scaling Trump Tower In New York

(CBS) -- Police captured a man who scaled the all-glass face of Trump Tower in New York City on Wednesday.

Man Climbs Trump Tower

A man has been captured after climbing Trump Tower using suction cups.

Posted by CBS New York on Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Police officers smashed windows and broke through a ventilation duct in an attempt to block his progress. Officers also lowered themselves toward him using a window washer's platform.

He was eventually apprehended around the 20th floor after more than an hour of climbing. Several officers yanked the climber through an open window.

The climber, a 20-year-old from Virginia who wanted to meet with Trump, was using suction cups used by window washers to secure themselves while on the job. They are not used for climbing.

US-VOTE-REPUBLICANS-TRUMP-NEWYORK-POLICE
An unidentified man scales Trump Tower using suction cups. (Credit: BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images)

The 58-story building is headquarters to the Republican presidential nominee's campaign. He also lives there.

The New York Daily News reports the man had left a message for Trump on You Tube. He said the was seeking an "audience" with Trump to discuss "an important matter"

Message to Mr. Trump (why I climbed your tower) by Leven Thumps on YouTube

The climber was taken to Bellevue Hospital for a mental health evaluation.

The man's backpack contained several different identifications. He told police he had no intention of hurting anybody.

"He wasn't going to make it, said Bob Rogers. "He wasn't going to make it to the top."

Rogers would know. He used to clean high-rise windows for a living. Those suction cups used by the climber are used for stability.

"He really didn't know what he was doing. He is lucky to be alive right now, that's what I think."

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