A crowd of onlookers goaded a suicidal teenager to jump to his death in Britain, before pushing police out of the way to take photos of the body.
Yesterday police efforts to talk 17-year-old Shaun Dykes down from the top of a multi-storey carpark in Derby, northern England, were undermined when spectators allegedly began shouting to him: "How far can you bounce?"
As Mr Dykes hesitated on the ledge for three hours while officers reasoned with him, a group of teenagers who had gathered below began to shout "Jump" and "Get on with it", according to witnesses and police.
Then, after Mr Dykes tragically jumped from the building, the same hecklers rushed forward to take photos of the body.
"When he (Dykes) fell, lots of people were screaming and crying but there were several groups of youths who ran from behind the cordon and looked like they were taking pictures with their mobile phones," a local shopkeeper told the MailOnline.
"I found that sickening - why would anyone want to take pictures of something like that?"
Superintendent Andy Hough, of Derbyshire police, said he was appalled to hear people were encouraging Mr Dykes to jump.
"I find it a disturbing and shocking reflection on society when people feel inclined to do that," Supt Hough told the MailOnline.
"Negotiators were working with the man threatening to jump and it was their job to talk to him in the hope of changing his mind.
"We really need the public to work with us, not against us. It was a very disappointing situation."
Mr Dykes was believed to be suffering depression following a relationship breakdown.
If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or seek immediate help from a GP or a counsellor.
