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Tragedy Probably Was Unpreventable

Employees who work at the Jefferson County Courthouse, especially those involved in law enforcement, were shaken badly Friday when a man commited suicide there.

Jason Binkiewicz, 42, of Dillonvale, jumped into a stairwell on the third floor and fell to his death after he was sentenced to prison for attempted murder and felonious assault.

A courageous deputy sheriff, Robert Price, risked his own life in trying to stop Binkiewicz. A surveillance video showed Price was nearly pulled over a railing, Sheriff Fred Abdalla said.

Precisely what happened is being investigated. Perhaps that can lead to improved security that may prevent similar tragedies in the future.

But “may” is the key word. It is nearly impossible to prevent someone from doing harm to himself if he is determined to do so.

That needs to be uppermost in the minds of all involved. It is, as Prosecuting Attorney Jane Hanlin said, heart breaking that Binkiewicz took his own life. That tragedy should not be compounded by anyone else connected to the case questioning whether they should have done anything differently.

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