A shirtless man who walked atop the 6th Street bridge Friday morning, prompting a four-hour standoff with fire and police officials, was arrested, officials said.
The unidentified man refused to come down for hours as firetrucks and police blocked traffic on the bridge, hoping to talk the man off one of the arches of the bridge.
Police and firefighters were seen calling out to the man, but video from KTLA showed the man ignoring officials and pacing atop one of the bridge arches.
Los Angeles police officers responded to the bridge at about 8 a.m. after the man was spotted climbing the bridge, said Officer Charles Miller with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Los Angeles fire officials arrived shortly thereafter and saw the man atop one of the bridge’s arches, said Lindsey Lantz, public service officer with the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The man, Lantz said, had threatened to jump at one point and officials at the scene were trying to get him to come down.
At one point, video from KTLA showed firefighters extending a truck ladder toward the man. The unidentified man, however, grabbed the ladder and began to shake it. Firefighters retracted the ladder.
The response from emergency workers during the Friday morning commute blocked traffic on the bridge that connects Boyle Heights and the Arts District.
The man was finally taken into custody sometime after noon, a spokesperson for the LAPD said. No injuries were reported, but fire officials said a fire truck and paramedics remained on scene.
Suicide prevention and crisis counseling resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional or call 988. The nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Or text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the Crisis Text Line.
