Police de-escalate situation, arrest man waving ax and knife by Beast Fitness San Jose
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Police on Wednesday morning arrested a man – using de-escalation techniques – who had been waving an ax and a large knife at Meridian Park Plaza in San Jose.
The man had been standing in front of Beast Fitness San Jose on Meridian Avenue about 3:15 a.m., although police said they were called out to assist with the "despondent" man about 1:15 a.m.
Video at the scene showed him walking around with the weapons, one in each hand.
He seemed agitated and was pacing back and force. He wore a green baseball cap, a long shirt and jeans. At times, he appeared to be talking to himself.
Police said the man repeatedly ignored commands to drop his weapons and then he broke into the gym.
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He was seen throwing objects at police officers, before barricading himself inside for nearly two hours.
A police officer shot a pepperrball at the man and took him into custody on suspicion of vandalism. Police also said he will receive a mental health evaluation.
In a series of tweets, police said they called in their crisis intervention team and used de-escalation techniques to get the man to surrender.
No injuries were reported.
Police arrested a man who had been waving an ax and a large knife at Meridian Park Plaza in San Jose. Jan. 5, 2021
Police arrested a man who had been waving an ax and a large knife at Meridian Park Plaza in San Jose. Jan. 5, 2021