Downtown Los Angeles was back to its weekend normal Saturday after thousands of drivers were stuck for hours on the Harbor (110) Freeway when the jammed rush-hour road was closed in both directions as a man threatened to jump from an overpass.
The man finally surrendered to police and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, but not before the incident had backed up traffic for miles on the Harbor Freeway in both directions as well as the Santa Monica (10) Freeway leading into downtown starting Friday at about 5:20 p.m.
It took about an hour before the man was taken into custody as he threatened to jump near the Wilshire Boulevard exit, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Sal Ramirez.
The threatened suicide forced the California Highway Patrol to stop northbound and southbound traffic on the Harbor Freeway at Wilshire Boulevard and issue a SigAlert, according to CHP Officer Michele Bond.
Units from the Los Angeles Fire Department and LAPD responded to the scene. Firefighters deployed air cushions on the freeway. Negotiators from the LAPD began talking to the man, trying to persuade him to come down.
The man surrendered to police about 6:25 p.m., was taken into custody, evaluated by paramedics and brought to a hospital for an evaluation, police said.
The incident backed up traffic on the Santa Monica (10) Freeway for miles, according to authorities.
–City News Service