Carl Edward Roland
JoeThomas
construction crane for a third day Friday, holding police at bay and causing
a spectacle in the city's entertainment district.
A plea from his sister, offers of food and a plan to have him jump onto air
bags on a nearby building hadn't resolved the standoff.
The man, identified as Carl Edward Roland, got onto the crane around 5 p.m.
Wednesday and told police he was thinking of killing himself by jumping,
police spokesman Sgt. John Quigley said.
"When he's ready to come down, he'll come down - one way or the other,"
Quigley said.
Roland is wanted by the Pinellas County, Fla., sheriff's department in the
death of ex-girlfriend Jennifer L. Gonzalez, 36, whose body found Tuesday.
An arrest warrant affidavit accuses Roland of strangling Gonzalez and
dumping her body in a pond behind the apartment complex where she lived.
Two days earlier, Roland told acquaintances he believed Gonzalez was
cheating on him and asked them if they could get him a firearm so he could
kill her, according to the affidavit.
Authorities had said Thursday that Roland talked to negotiators but refused
food and water. Quigley said he didn't know if he had accepted anything
since then.
Since March, the 41-year-old Clearwater, Fla., man had quit his job as a
software salesman and filed for bankruptcy. Roland said he owed $10,500 in
federal taxes and more than $13,000 on credit cards, court records show.
The standoff was high above Atlanta's busy Buckhead neighborhood, an area
filled with clubs and restaurants. Lunch and dinner crowds, taking advantage
of summer-like weather, have packed restaurant patios with clear views of
the standoff.
Authorities closed some streets under the crane, including Peachtree Road,
one of the city's main thoroughfares. The closure led to traffic delays
throughout the area.
Vernard Swindle, 29, laid off from his job stocking groceries, took a bus
from his home three miles away Friday to see what was going on. He was still
there two hours later.
"I'm wondering what's going on in his head to stay up there more than 36
hours with no food or water," Swindle said.
JoeThomas
poor girlfriend, though.
Joe
deb...@comcast.net
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA - A 56-hour standoff with a homicide suspect perched on a
construction crane ended peacefully early Saturday when police shocked
him with a stun gun as he reached for a cup of water, authorities said.
"Apparently, he was thirsty," police spokesman Sgt. John Quigley said.
Carl Edward Roland, 41, got onto the 18-story crane around 5 p.m.
Wednesday and told police he was thinking of killing himself by
jumping, authorities said.
The standoff unfolded above Atlanta's busy Buckhead neighborhood, an
area filled with clubs and restaurants. Lunch and dinner crowds, taking
advantage of summer-like weather, have packed restaurant patios with
clear views of the standoff.
Roland was wanted by the Pinellas County, Fla., sheriff's department in
the death of ex-girlfriend Jennifer L. Gonzalez, 36, whose body found
Tuesday. An arrest warrant affidavit accuses Roland of strangling
Gonzalez and dumping her body in a pond behind the apartment complex
where she lived.
Two days earlier, Roland told acquaintances he believed Gonzalez was
cheating on him and asked them if they could get him a firearm so he
could kill her, according to the affidavit.
During the standoff negotiations, Roland accepted a jacket from police,
which he used to beat back the chill at night and the sun during the
day, but he refused offers of food and water.
But early Saturday, Roland stepped toward an officer to get some water,
and the officer used a Taser on him, said Alan Dreher, Atlanta's
assistant police chief.
Roland showed mixed emotions during the negotiations, Dreher said.
"At times he was calm. At times he was cordial. At times he was irate.
At times he was argumentative. It just depended on the situation," he
said.
Roland was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and police expected to
charge him with crimes in Atlanta and Florida. Hospital officials said
he was in good condition.
Since March, the Clearwater, Fla., man had quit his job as a software