TMH staff tried to stop man from jumping out fifth floor window

A man who was badly hurt after falling from the fifth floor of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare tried to jump but was intercepted by hospital staff, according to police investigators.

The man, whose name has not been released, used a dresser drawer to knock out the glass of his hospital room window before trying to jump out, said Officer Damon Miller, a spokesman for the Tallahassee Police Department.

“While attempting to jump out the window, hospital staff immediately tried to intervene and stop the patient from jumping,” Miller said in a news release. “The patient defeated their efforts and would eventually fall, suffering life-threatening injuries.”

Miller said TPD concluded its investigation into the fall and that no foul play was suspected. He added the patient was stable. TMH officials said he was listed in good condition as of Monday.

Hospital officials, citing federal health-care privacy laws, have not said why he tried to jump out of the window, which wasn't designed to open, or why he was in the hospital in the first place.

"We don't have any additional information," said Danielle Buchanan, director of communications for TMH.

The Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees licenses of Florida's health-care facilities, acknowledged it is looking into the incident but declined to provide any details.

"It's under review," said Mallory McManus, AHCA's communications director.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.