A man threatened to jump from a downtown overpass onto the Harbor (110) Freeway Friday, prompting closure of a stretch of the freeway that backed up traffic for miles.
The man threatened to jump about 5:20 p.m. 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.