Redwood City cops defused a volatile situation last week when they responded to a mental health alert involving a 38-year-old man with access to a cache of guns. On March 8, Redwood City officers were called to a home on Shaw Court after receiving a report of a suicidal individual, as per the information released by the Redwood City Police Department.
Despite attempts by crisis negotiators to coax the man out and provide support, he locked himself in. Leaving safely, family members residing at the same address agreed to stay at a friend's place, allowing officers to disengage from the immediate threat. The very next day, the man's father found him attempting to harm himself, and shortly afterwards, the man vanished in a white work van.
Redwood City Officers and San Mateo County Sheriff personnel sprung into action, locating the van at Hawes Elementary School, prompting a lockdown while they searched the area using a drone. Although the van turned empty, the subject's whereabouts remained a mystery.
Meanwhile, an RCPD officer drafted a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO), a legal instrument that a judge signs that enables police to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed a risk to themselves or others. With permission from the family, law enforcement searched the Shaw Court residence, seizing the weaponry. The subject eventually returned to his van, where officers were waiting. They escorted him to a mental health facility after placing him on hold for psychiatric evaluation.
No criminal charges are being filed against the man, who remains unnamed since his actions did not constitute a crime. According to the Redwood City Police Department, the priority in such circumstances is a "peaceful resolution." They highlighted their Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU) 's beneficial role in calming individuals in mental distress and the importance of technology like drones in executing safer, more efficient operations.
