A person reported to have been “laying in the bushes with a rifle sticking out from his clothing” in Portola Valley on Thursday was subsequently detained and sent for a mental health evaluation, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office Enhanced Crisis Intervention (ECIT) Trained responded to the report about the armed man at the Windy Hill Preserve. A deputy deployed a drone to get a visual of the person and gather information. An ECIT deputy “was able to de-escalate this incident by talking to the subject and detaining him without anyone being hurt,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
A shotgun was recovered at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The unidentified person, described as suicidal, was evaluated at the scene and then placed on a “5150″ hold denoting someone who, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others or themselves. He was then sent to San Mateo County Medial Center for further evaluation, the Sheriff’s Office said.
