Agitated man climbs atop 80-foot tree in downtown Seattle and throws apples at officers

SEATTLE - Police and firefighters are responding to a man who has climbed to the top of Seattle's iconic Sequoia tree, next to the Macy's store downtown, and apparently is refusing to come down. Crews brought a ladder truck to the scene, at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Stewart Street, after receiving reports of a man stuck in the upper branches of the tall tree, just after 11:30 a.m. The fire truck's ladder was extended to within a few feet of the man, then negotiators climbed up and are trying to speak with him. So far he has refused to come down and has thrown an apple at medics. The man, with a long beard and wool cap, was also seen tossing small branches, orange peels, pine cones and other materials at rescuers and claimed to be armed with a knife, Seattle Police said. He later requested a pack of Camel Crush cigarettes. A KOMO news team at the scene said the man is clearly agitated, shouting and "flipping the bird" at spectators. Surrounding witnesses questioned the man's mental health, while others speculated he may be high on drugs. By hour four, the man had stripped the top of the tree bare. He tore the limbs off and hurled them at officers and firefighters.