Man exposed self to teen

Man suffering mental health crisis at San Carlos’ Burton Park safely taken into custody

in Community

A man reported to have been making suicidal statements at Burton Park in San Carlos was safely taken into custody early Tuesday.

San Mateo County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the park about 12:06 a.m. and found the man asleep in the driver’s seat of a parked car with what appeared to be a firearm on his lap.

Deputies formulated a crisis intervention plan that involved attempts to communicate with the man using a patrol vehicle public address (PA) system and a drone. The man eventually woke up and “ultimately followed instructions,” exiting the vehicle and being detained without incident, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was transported to the San Mateo Medical Center Psychiatric Emergency Services unit. Deputies also found that the weapon seen on his lap was a replica firearm.

“This case highlights the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office’s Enhanced Crisis Intervention Training program and how our crisis response has aligned with recent law changes (California AB-392) as well as community expectations,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “Unless there is imminent danger or threats to others, deputies will conduct pre-assessments, gather as much information as possible, and form a plan for de-escalation prior to attempting contact with an individual in crisis. We understand that the mere presence of uniformed deputies can escalate situations, and we will utilize time and distance whenever possible to assess the best course of action for each situation.”