Concord City Attorney Mark Coon died after leaping from a parking structure in the 1100 block of Locust Street in Walnut Creek Tuesday, a fall police are calling a suicide.
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District firefighters and Walnut Creek police tended to Coon after witnesses watched a man, described as in his 50s, climb into an opening at the parking garage and jump to the pavement below at 10:28 a.m.
Officers said there were several witnesses, no chance for anyone to intervene and no apparent indication of foul play as Coon climbed into a third-floor portal of the four-story structure and jumped.
Coon’s death was announced in an email sent to all city staff by Concord City Manager Valerie Barone.
The City of Concord has closed all city offices, and the Tuesday night council meeting was canceled.
Grief counselors have also been brought in for any city employee wishing to talk, according to the email.
Coon was hired by Concord in 2002 as a deputy city attorney, after a private career specializing in a wide range of issues including employment and environmental law. A meticulous lawyer known for double-checking his work and extensively researching each issue he took on, he was named city attorney in 2012 by the City Council.
He was married and had two children.
In Walnut Creek, shaken bystanders contacted this site, expressing their shock at the public nature of the incident and confirming that Coon appeared intent on doing what he was about to do.
Locust Street was shut down and traffic re-routed while an investigation into his suicide was conducted.
We’ll have more on this story as it develops.
I’m sure that wasn’t nice to watch.
It is not something I hope to ever see again. We will pray for him and for his family tonight.
Horrible. A shame he couldnt get help
We’re all running from persistent demons. It is too bad this man felt pushed to the brink in this way. Very sorry.
I wondered what it was. So sorry to hear this.
Very sad. Condolences to his family and friends.
Pressures at work?
How very strange and tragic. Of course all respect should be shown his family but as he was a person in a public position and I would hope a full and thorough investigation is conducted. The timing at the very least is concerning.
How terribly sad for his family. Our thoughts are with them tonight.
How sad. Unfortunately some hard questions will have to be asked.
What a tragic story. Hopefully he did a lot of people the courtesy of explaining his actions and putting this act into some context. Was there a note? I mean, why Walnut Creek and not somewhere in Concord… and before the night’s council meeting. Agree that some questions will be raised over this.
Pretty strange that a public figure would take his own life in so public a way. I agree that it would be nice if he left something behind explaining why he did what he did – it might spare his family a lot of the questions that are sur e to pop up over this. Is there an investigative agency looking into this?
Absolutely shocking. We cannot imagine what his poor family is going through tonight.
May some form of peace be granted his family. I can’t imagine what they are going through.
Timing and circumstance may mean unseen factors were at work here. Walnut Creek will investigate? Someone else?
Lets hope everyone gets the answers they need from this sad and tragic act.
Anything more on this story?
Wow