Oklahoma Man Today William Sturdivant on top of radio tower enters into his sixth day

Aug 16, 2011 - 16:00
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Oklahoma Man Today William Sturdivant on top of radio tower enters into his sixth day
Perched: The 25-year-old man, named William, has been on top of the 150-foot TV pole since Thursday in a stand-off with police

The mentally disturbed man who has been perched on top of a TV tower shows no signs of coming down as he enters his sixth day.

Today William Sturdivant, 25,  who has been on top of the 300-foot television tower in Tulsa since August 11, is said to have asked for a Whataburger meal as well as some Oreos and milk.

He was shown climbing around the structure this moing and efforts from police to coax him down have so far failed.

He is said to have hopped over a protective fence and scaled the Clear Channel radio tower on Thursday moing around 11am.

While he is not believed to be suicidal, officials are conceed for his welfare because the last time he had water was on Friday and until today he had been refusing offers of food and drink, Fox News reported.

A crowd of people is said to have gathered on the ground below him and a local restaurant is even said to have offered a 'Tower Guy' five-topping pizza yesterday to mark his fifth day.

 

Ryan Perkins, of Tulsa Police, told  KOTV-TD that the crowd is hampering their efforts to get the 25-year-old to come down.

'We've had a couple of times when we've made some progress with him and then the crowd will start yelling and screaming things, it will distract him, and we'll regress and go 12 hours back in time with the progression that we've made with him.

'We don't want people yelling, screaming, taking pictures. We would like people to, basically, ignore him.

He said they might start arresting spectators for obstructing justice.

While police don't know exactly why the man decided to climb the tower, they say he suffers from mental illness and bizarre behaviour pattes.

William is wearing a t-shirt, shorts and red socks after his sneakers fell off on Saturday.

His family have also joined in the effort to get him down but to no avail.

Attempt: Negotiators have attempted to lure the man down with food, cigarettes and money but he will not budge and instead has been crowing like a rooster

Attempt: Negotiators have attempted to lure the man down with food, cigarettes and money but he will not budge and instead has been crowing like a rooster

Police negotiator Cole Butler told News 6 that Mr Sturdivant said that there was 'no such thing as suicide'

Mr Butler said: 'Honestly, if he was wanting to jump, I think it would have happened by now.'

At one point, he was heard crowing like a rooster during sunrise.

Residents complained that police are wasting money trying to save him.

'I'm just sick of the money and resources we are using on this guy,' one woman said after coming to the tower to see him, News on 6 reported.

Despite the criticisms, police continue their vigil in hopes of getting him to safety.

'His life is in jeopardy,' officer Jason Willingham told the New York Daily News. 'He is trespassing on Clear Channel's property and we can't just walk away.'

 

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Mike Gallagher Freelance writer with a passion for travelling