Assault Suspect Arrested After Bay Bridge Standoff
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A San Francisco assault suspect who climbed over the railing of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to elude arrest, triggering an overnight standoff and forcing the closure of several lanes, surrendered to police early Thursday morning.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the agency began receiving calls around 11 p.m. Wednesday of a man walking on the Bay Bridge who was tossing traffic cones and lunging at passing vehicles.
Arriving officers approached the suspect in an attempt to take him into custody. As officers got close to the suspect, he made furtive movements, as if reaching for a weapon and yelled at the officers to shoot him.
Fearing for their safety and the safety of the passing motorists, a taser was deployed on the suspect. However, it was not effective. The suspect ran eastbound for a short distance and jumped over the north bridge railing and nestled himself on a beam located in-between the two decks of the bridge.
The CHP called in the hostage negotiating team from the San Francisco police department who made contact with the man and also the Coast Guard in case he chose to jump into the Bay.
Hours passed until the man climbed up the onto the bridge and surrendered to police around 5:30 a.m.
All lanes were open at approximately 5:40 a.m. in time for the busy morning commute.
The CHP said the man --- an African-American male in his 20s -- was wanted for an assault near the Transbay Terminal.
He was taken to San Francisco General for a psychiatric examination.
