What started as one of the most jaw-dropping proposals New York City has seen in years has now turned into a criminal case.

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Newly released bodycam footage has captured the exact moment NYPD officers confronted a daredevil couple who had illegally climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s antenna before getting engaged more than 1,400 feet above Manhattan.

Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angela Nikolau, 33, have built a reputation online for pulling off death-defying “rooftopping” stunts across the globe. But their latest climb — one of the most audacious yet — has now landed them facing a long list of criminal charges.

The pair stunned tourists, workers, and onlookers in Midtown after somehow managing to breach the Empire State Building’s heavily protected security perimeter on Wednesday afternoon.

Dressed head-to-toe in black and wearing masks, Kuznetsov and Nikolau climbed the iconic skyscraper’s 1,454-foot spire without any safety ropes or harnesses.

It’s a feat that left many questioning not just how they managed it, but why.

Footage from news helicopters showed the couple balancing at the very top of the antenna before unfurling a huge black banner carrying the message: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”

Moments later, they kissed at the summit.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

After beginning their descent down the narrow metal latticework, the pair stopped on a slightly wider platform beneath the spire — and that’s where Kuznetsov took things to another level.

With cameras rolling, he dropped to one knee, Nikolau said yes, and – just like that – one of the highest engagement proposals in recent memory was complete.

The couple then posed for selfies, proudly showing off the engagement ring with the New York skyline stretching beneath them.

It was a moment that quickly exploded online.

But the celebration didn’t last long.

The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit was already making its way up through the building’s internal ladder system to intercept them.

Bodycam footage released by police shows officers closing in on the pair as they remained perched high above the city.

“Hey I got eyes on ’em,” one officer says in the footage. Moments later, the confrontation begins.

“How you doing? You can’t be up here,” the officer says.

Nikolau replied: “I’m okay.”

In another moment caught on camera, an officer can be heard saying: “Well, you can’t be up here.”

A calm voice responds: “We are engaged.”

Despite the surreal nature of the exchange, the couple reportedly cooperated fully with officers and made their way down without resistance.

Once they reached the ground, however, both were arrested.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch later shared the footage online and praised the officers involved, writing: “A glimpse into the work of our Emergency Services Unit. God bless these officers.”

Authorities are treating the incident as far more than a viral stunt.

According to police, both Kuznetsov and Nikolau are now facing multiple charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering and disorderly conduct.

Officials also revealed the Empire State Building was forced to shut down its high-frequency antenna transmission during the incident to protect the couple from dangerous radio wave exposure.

That detail alone underlines just how risky the stunt really was… let alone the 443m (1,454 feet) height to the tip!

Questions are now being asked about how the pair got past security in the first place.

The Empire State Building has some of the strictest visitor screening measures in New York, with masks explicitly banned for guests. Yet Kuznetsov and Nikolau still found a way through.

A spokesperson for the Empire State Building confirmed the climb was “unauthorized” and said the incident did not put visitors, tenants, or observation deck guests in danger.

They also pointedly noted that the building “offer[s] a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.” (The irony wasn’t lost on many).

For those familiar with the pair, this isn’t out of character.

Kuznetsov and Nikolau — known in rooftopping circles for their extreme urban climbs — were the subjects of the 2024 Skywalkers: A Love Story documentary, which chronicled their dangerous lifestyle and relationship.

Nikolau’s social media is filled with images of the couple standing atop some of the tallest structures in the world, including Merdeka 118 in Malaysia.

And despite now being in legal trouble, Nikolau has continued posting footage from the Empire State Building climb, including close-up shots of her engagement ring with a bird’s-eye view of New York beneath it.

For the couple, it may have been the ultimate proposal. For New York authorities, it’s a major security breach.

Featured image credit: Instagram/angela_nikolau/NYPD (screenshots)