On Friday January 19th around 12:30 p.m. Chico Police officers were called to the area of E. 20th Street overpass and Highway 99 on a report of a distraught man hanging from the outside of the fence on the overpass.
The officers noticed a man holding onto a chain link fence leaning over and threatening to jump.
Detective Mark Bass immediately began negotiating with the man to prevent him from jumping.
CHP officers’ shutdown southbound lanes of Highway 99 and diverted traffic to E. 20th Street.
Negotiations with the man lasted for approximately 15 minutes and Detective Bass was able to convince the man to move back onto the sidewalk. The man was later transported to Enloe Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. The entire incident lasted approximately 20 minutes and the southbound lanes of Highway 99 were re-opened immediately.