On September 30th, four men climbed atop One World Trade Center in New York City and parachuted more than 1,300 feet off the skyscraper. This week, James Brady, Kyle Hartwell, Marko Markovich, and Andrew Rossig have been charged with burglary, reckless endangerment and jumping from a structure, according to a statement issued by NYPD Commissioner William Bratton.
“These men violated the law and placed themselves, as well as others, in danger,” Bratton said. The issue should not only be with the four reckless jumpers, but also with the lack of security at the building.
Rossig’s attorney Timothy Parlatore said, “They were very professional, very controlled. There was nothing haphazard or reckless about it.” But the problems with their actions are not just about whether they were being safe, it’s about respecting a landmark. At the end of they day, they trespassed a memorial. The men snuck into the area through a hole in a fence, Parlatore said. It was as easy as that. Where were the security guards?
At the time of the incident, James Brady was a construction worker assigned to work at the One World Trade Center site, police said.
Now who is next to make such a reckless decision? Just last week a 16 year-old from New Jersey was arrested on trespassing charges at the skyscraper. Justin Casquejo is accused of sneaking past security and climbing to the top of the building.
“These arrests should send a message to anyone thinking about misusing a landmark this way,” Police Commissioner William Bratton said. “Being a thrill-seeker does not give immunity from the law.”
