L-A Radio: Man Climbs KTLA Broadcast Tower

A stretch of Sunset Boulevard reopened Wednesday after an hours-long standoff ended between authorities and a man who had climbed the iconic KTLA broadcast tower.

For nearly three hours, the man clutched the trestles of the 160-foot tower, located at the Sunset Bronson Studios just west of the 101 Freeway. At one point he rebuffed crisis negotiators and climbed upward.

But. reports The LA Times, shortly before 8 p.m., the man, identified as "Chris" in a green sweatshirt and black cap safely returned to the ground, where he was taken into police custody for a mental evaluation, according to Los Angeles police Officer Ricardo Hernandez. His name was not released, but police said he is 55 years old and possibly homeless.

The 160-foot radio tower was in 2014 taken apart and relocated to that site -- its original location -- amid construction on the lot. It reappeared in March 2015. It sat for many years at Van Ness Avenue in Sunset Boulevard, hanging over the nearby 101 Freeway, a familiar site for commuters.

Originally erected in 1925, the tower is behind a fence.

KTLA's call letters have been displayed on the tower for more than six decades. KTLA, channel 5, is a CW-affiliated television station located in Los Angeles, California, United States. The station is owned by the Tribune Broadcasting subsidiary of Tribune Media. KTLA maintains studio facilities located at the Sunset Bronson Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.

KTLA was the first commercially licensed television station in the western United States, having begun operations in 1947.