A Woman Battles With the Police as They Try to Prevent Her From Committing Suicide in Brooklyn, NY, 1942

The lady in the picture with the mirror held above her head – that was Mrs. Edna Egbert. The photographer caught her in the ready-to-swing position, as a cop gets ready to dodge. The incident occurred on March 19, 1942, in Brooklyn, when Egbert, a 50-year-old woman, had an emotional breakdown and climbed onto the ledge of her second-story apartment building at 497 Dean Street.

Reports indicate that she was distressed over her son serving in the military and had been experiencing mental health struggles. As she stood on the narrow ledge, gripping a drainpipe, police officers and neighbors attempted to talk her down. However, when she resisted, officers resorted to forceful measures, including physically grabbing her and even striking her with a club. A dramatic photograph taken by a New York Daily News photographer captured officers struggling with her on the ledge—a shocking image that has since become an iconic representation of mental health crises and police intervention in that era.

Ultimately, officers were able to pull her back inside, and she was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The event highlighted both the challenges of dealing with mental health crises and the often-brutal police tactics of the time.