Prosecutors save man who tried to hang himself outside Queens Borough Hall: DA

Three Queens prosecutors went beyond their call of duty last week when they saved a man who was attempting to kill himself, according to the Queens district attorney’s office.

On April 1 just before 1 p.m. Assistant District Attorney Andrea M. Mauro was exiting Queens Borough Hall, located in Kew Gardens, when she saw a man in his late 50s or early 60s tying one end of a rope to a tree and the other end around his neck, authorities said.

Mauro, joined by Assistant District Attorneys Jason S. Trager and Gabriel Mendoza, grabbed the man as the rope began to tighten.

As Trager untied the rope from the tree, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Mendoza untied the other end from the man’s neck.

“The man collapsed on the ground crying, gasping for air,” Trager said. “We are relieved that we were able to get him down from the tree in time. It was very sad and shocking.”

The man was taken by police to a local hospital for observation and treatment.

“The assistant district attorneys in this office do a tremendous job each day of seeking justice for victims of crimes, but these three prosecutors went above and beyond the call of duty by stepping in to save a man who was obviously distraught and in desperate need,” Brown said. “I am extremely proud of their actions.”