Police aim to charge Jones Beach balcony jumper

Police are seeking to charge the man who leaped from a Jones Beach amphitheater balcony during a rock concert last week with endangering other concertgoers, one of whom was hurt by his fall, officials said.

"Imagine you're standing at a concert and a . . . man drops 25 feet onto your head," said Capt. Bruce Marx of the New York State Park Police. The result, he said, "could have been a broken neck."

The jumper, a resident of Maine, is to be charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, as well as disorderly conduct, park police said. Officials Monday prepared an arrest warrant and request for extradition, which will be sent to state police in Maine.

Park police have been in contact with the man and were "in negotiations" regarding his return, Marx said. Marx declined to identify the man, citing the incomplete warrant process.

The vertical height of the upper tier at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater is 25 feet, although the man cleared several rows on the level below, indicating he leaped out from the concrete ledge. "He ran and he jumped out," Marx said.

One man in the lower seats was struck and injured; the extent of his injuries was unclear. A handful of plastic seats was also damaged by the impact, Marx said. The fall left the jumper bloodied and suffering from a head injury. He was taken by helicopter to Nassau University Medical Center in critical condition but was quickly upgraded and released two days later.

The leap occurred while the lights were on during a set break; the concert resumed on schedule, leaving police to interview witnesses in the dark and with the band playing.

Marx said it was unclear if alcohol or drugs were involved.