Police Release Details on Man Found Hanged in Piedmont Park: Report

An initial report released Friday by the Atlanta Police Department indicates there was no foul play involved in the death of an unidentified man found hanging Thursday from a tree in Piedmont Park, according to a media report.

According to the police report, an officer arrived at the park early Thursday morning in response to a call from a security officer, who found the African-American man hanging from a tree, WSB-TV Channel 2 reported. The police said the man had no identification on him.

Mayor Kasim Reed announced Thursday that he has asked the FBI to investigate the man's death. "I am deeply saddened by the loss of a young man's life last night in Piedmont Park," he said in a statement. "This disturbing event demands our full attention."

"We will not prejudge the circumstances," Reed said in response to rumors on social media Thursday that the death was the result of a lynching.

In their initial report, the Atlanta police said it appeared the man had tied a white rope to a thick branch of a tree, and then around his neck and hanged himself, WSB-TV reported. The police are also investigating the incident, and the mayor said he has directed the police to brief him regularly on the progress of their probe.

Crisis Resources
If you or someone you know is in crisis, the phone number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255. More information is available on the websites of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

In Fulton County, the local Department of Mental Health has a 24/7 suicide hotline at (404) 730-1600 - for TDD, (404) 730-1608. Another resource is the Georgia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.