Two people in custody after scaling to top of Empire State Building
By Ray Sanchez, Mark Morales, CNN
(CNN) — Two people who reached the top of the antenna on the Empire State Building in New York City on Wednesday afternoon are in custody, according to the New York Police Department.
The individuals, who wore masks, appeared to get engaged.
The couple unfurled a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” according to video and images from the scene.
Police said they were taken into custody without incident.
Charges are pending and the investigation remains ongoing, according to police.
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told CNN the dangerous stunt put city and police officials as well as the building owners in a “tough spot.”
“They are going to have to do whatever they can to see that these people are prosecuted for any appropriate charges because they cannot take the chance that others will see this and decide to also try it,” McCabe said.
“The last thing that people who are responsible for the Empire State Building want is to turn this place into a target for that sort of activity, because ultimately it will end in some sort of tragedy. The danger here, the recklessness, is obvious and can’t be overstated,” he added.
It was not clear how the pair managed to reach the very top of the 1,454-foot landmark.
The antenna at the top of the Empire State Building transmits broadcast signals for virtually all of New York’s local TV and radio stations.
Video posted on Instagram on Wednesday is believed to show one of the two climbers, who scaled to the top of the Empire State Building, on a platform near the top of the building.
Law enforcement sources tell CNN they believe the video shows the climbers.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Jessica Prater, David Williams and Sneha Dhandapani contributed to this report.