Man detained after 'suicide attempt' drama
A man has been detained for threatening to commit suicide in an attempt to extort compensation from his former employer, Shanghai police said on Monday.
The drama played out at an RT-Mart hypermarket on Gonghexin Road in Jing’an District on May 7 around 12:30pm.
The man, surnamed Zhou, was sitting atop the facade of a third-floor building, and his pregnant wife, a woman surnamed Lan, was not far away.
Zhou earlier had resigned from an RT-Mart hypermarket in Guangzhou, southern Guangdong Province, but asked his employer to pay compensation. The company did after he staged the same stunt.
A large air cushion was placed on the sidewalk, and firefighters and first-aid workers stood by.
Zhou agreed to come down after 12 hours.
He later allegedly admitted he was only trying to gain more money from the company.
Zhou is now under detention and could face the criminal charge of “picking quarrels and making trouble,” while his wife was put on bail, police said.
If convicted, Zhou could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, according to China's criminal law.