Man shoots himself on 95th Street

A Bay Ridge man is dead after a drama unfolded Thursday, June 9,at 95th Street and Third Avenue, where cops responded to a callabout an emotionally disturbed person who was threatening to jumpfrom his apartment building.

Witnesses said that cops arrived in front of 361 95th street atabout noon.

According to a police source, members of the NYPD EmergencyServices Unit climbed up to where the man was standing, at whichpoint he retreated into him apartment. Then, the cops went into thebuilding and began talking with the man to calm him down andprevent him from doing harm to himself.

Late in the afternoon, the police source said, the dialoguebroke off and, shortly afterwards, cops heard a gunshot, enteredthe apartment, and found the man dead with a single gunshot woundto the head.

Olga Charnoluski, a friend of the man, came to the scene to tryto help. She said that the man was a Russian musician who recentlydivorced and became depressed.

For hours, cops lined the block, stopping residents from goinginto their houses or using the street to access the R train stationentrance on Fourth Avenue.

Ambulances and EMTs were also on hand, and there were policecars parked at both entrances of the street.

In the middle of the block, authorities had set up a largeballoon-like air mattress in case the man jumped.

Chris S. lives in the building and was coming home from workwhen he was denied access to his apartment by cops. I like tothink when you go home, you’re safe, he said. It’s not a goodthing when you have people living in your building and the policehave to be called upon.