Please, never assume that someone is talking about suicide because they want to manipulate you. I have buried a couple friends whose cries for help went unanswered because of this very assumption.
Your son sounds like he is suffering from a major clinical depression. Just a head's up--people who are manipulative can also be severely depressed. He needs professional help. Do you live in the same area? If so, I would take him to the crisis center at your local county mental health department. He may very well need to be medicated...antidepressants can work wonders. And if he's been unhappy for a long time, therapy will probably help him a lot.
I went thru this same thing with my son when he was around your son's age. It's hard to deal with, but it's harder to lose someone needlessly to suicide. Please don't think in terms of him "playing you". This young man is reaching out to you, for whatever reason. My son's parents were astounded when he reached out to me instead of them during a crippling suicidal depression. I wasn't surprised at all. After all, I had brought him into the world, and he wanted me to know that he was in so much pain that he was thinking of leaving this world. Birth and death...major things.
Good luck. If you need any help or support, please don't hesitate to PM me. I'm always hanging around here, so I'll answer ASAP.
P.S. In my own personal opinion, I would NOT involve the police. In my own experience, the cops often escalate the situation, and things get out of control very quickly. Take your son to get some help. Don't wait for others to do this.
