Man With Knife Tackled Near ‘Today’ Show Set [Video]

A man armed with a knife was apprehended near the Today show set Thursday morning.

Guards on the plaza were forced to tackle a man after he started slashing at his arms with a blade. Although he forced to the ground during the incident, nobody else was harmed.

According to the New York Police Department, an unidentified man in his 50s brandished a knife outside of the Today show set. NBC guards reportedly confronted and eventually tackled the man after he threatened to harm himself.

Matt Lauer reported the incident to Today viewers as it unfolded outside.

“There was an incident out on the plaza. A man attempted to harm himself with a knife. He did manage to cut himself. He was controlled by our security team out there. However, he did harm himself in some way, so he’s now being attended to by medical personnel,” Lauer explained.

The Today show Twitter account also reported the incident as it occurred. Lauer later tweeted an update after the man was apprehended.

“All secure on the plaza after a scary incident. Thanks to our security team and the NYPD,” he wrote.

The confrontation was captured on video by an amateur photographer as it happened. He later posted an image from the exchange on Twitter. You can find his picture embedded below.

According to the New York Daily News, the suicidal man was ranting about the government before he started to harm himself. The website states he yelled about how the Internal Revenue Service had ruined his life.

After reportedly throwing a stack of papers into the air, he pulled out a pocket knife and started to cut himself. When someone managed to get the knife away from the man, he produced a second blade and began slashing at his wrists. Once he was tackled and restrained, he was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment.

This image might be unsettling for some people, so proceed with caution.

The video of the man being tackled has been embedded below. However, YouTube could pull the clip at any moment.

The condition of the man who cut himself near the Today show set is currently unknown.

[Top Image via Shutterstock.com – Bottom image via @SirAnduck / Twitter]