Berkeley police help de-escalate call of suicidal man with knife
When police arrived, they found the man holding a knife to his own neck. He said he planned to hurt himself.
Berkeley police officers helped talk down a man in crisis Thursday inside a central Berkeley motel room, authorities report.
Officers on patrol, including negotiators on BPD's Bike Force, were dispatched to the University Avenue motel Thursday shortly before noon on reports that a resident there was having a mental health crisis.
The man had moved into the motel from a local homeless encampment.
When officers arrived, they found the man holding a knife to his own neck. He had said he was going to hurt himself, police said.
The man's social worker was also dispatched to the motel, police said.
Officers and the social worker were able to talk with the man through an open window, BPD said.
After talking with him for about 90 minutes, the man ultimately agreed to put away the knife. He also promised he would not hurt himself.
After determining that their help was no longer needed, officers left the man with his social worker to decide what he needed next.
No one else had been in danger during the incident, police said.
- Berkeley Mental Health: 510-981-5900 (limited hours)
- Alameda County crisis line: 800-309-2131 (24/7)
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 (24/7)
