PHOENIX — A police situation on Interstate 10 at 16th Street in Phoenix closed down the highway in both directions just before the mini stack for several hours Monday morning.
A person had climbed onto the fence of the pedestrian bridge over the highway, prompting authorities to close the roadway. Police negotiators were able to resolve the situation, and lower the person to safety several hours later.
Phoenix Police tells 12News the person taken into custody will receive mental health treatment and will face criminal charges.
Asked whether there was a more efficient way to re-route drivers, DPS said its troopers and ADOT “made every effort to clear the sitting traffic as quickly as possible” while keeping the public, first responders, and the subject of negotiations safe.
“The location and timing of this specific incident further complicated an already unpredictable and fluid situation,” said Sgt. Eric Andrews of DPS Public Affairs.
Per protocol, DPS will conduct a thorough debriefing of the incident to highlight areas where they excelled as well as areas of improvement, Andrews said.
Closures began just before 8 a.m. and helicopter footage of the area showed cars backed up all down the roadway. Several people were seen getting out of their vehicles to take a walk on the side of the highway.
Here's a bird's-eye-view of the scene:
I-10 closure at 16th Street in Phoenix
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