A man who witnesses say threatened to jump from the Eaton Road overpass onto Highway 99 was talked down and detained safely within two minutes of officers arriving on scene Tuesday, according to the Chico Police Department. The department said several 9-1-1 callers reported seeing the man on the overpass before officers rushed to the location.
Per Action News Now, the Chico Police Department received several calls about a man on the Eaton Road overpass on Tuesday, with witnesses reporting he had made statements about wanting to jump into traffic below. Officers located the man on the overpass, and Officer Nicolo DiStefano, described by the department as a trained crisis negotiator, made verbal contact with him.
DiStefano convinced the man to abandon his position on the overpass fence, and officers detained him safely within two minutes of arriving at the scene, the department said. The California Highway Patrol was requested to respond to the incident as well, the same report notes.
Highway Closed in Both Directions During Standoff
While officers worked to resolve the situation, the police department closed Highway 99 and the Eaton Road overpass to traffic in all directions for approximately 20 minutes, according to the same report. The temporary closures caused traffic impacts in the immediate area as officers focused on the man's safety.
The man was transported to Enloe Health for further evaluation and resources, the department said. Enloe Health closed its standalone inpatient Behavioral Health Center on Cohasset Road in August 2024 and shifted inpatient psychiatric operations directly to its main hospital campus in Chico, according to Enloe Health, while continuing to operate a 24-hour mental health crisis hotline.
Under California's Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5150, peace officers and designated mental health professionals have the legal authority to detain someone experiencing a severe mental health crisis for an involuntary 72-hour psychiatric evaluation if they are assessed as an imminent danger to themselves or others, according to FindLaw. Chico police officers also regularly co-respond with the Butte County Mobile Crisis Unit, a specialized field team operated through Butte County Behavioral Health, during high-risk behavioral health calls in the city, per a report from Action News Now.
Not the First Crisis on This Exact Overpass
The Chico Police Department commended officers for their swift response, professionalism, and calm decision-making, and thanked the witnesses who immediately called 9-1-1. The department credited the officers' actions with helping bring a safe resolution to a dangerous situation.
This was not the first time officers have intervened at this exact location. In November 2017, Chico police officers, including one trained in crisis negotiation, successfully negotiated with and safely rescued a woman attempting to jump from the same Eaton Road overpass into oncoming Highway 99 traffic, according to The Orion. The department maintains a collateral Crisis Negotiation Team and uses specialized tactical tools, including robots capable of delivering crisis communication equipment, to handle barricaded individuals and mental health crises peacefully, according to reporting from ChicoSol News.
A Countywide Mental Health Picture
Tuesday's incident unfolded against a broader regional backdrop. Butte County records an average of 32 suicide deaths per year, generating a countywide suicide rate of approximately 16 per 100,000 residents, which is roughly 59% higher than California's statewide average of about 10 per 100,000, according to North State Public Radio. Butte County Public Health operates a dedicated Suicide Prevention Program focused on public education and lethal means safety, and promotes the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides free 24/7 call and text support.
The Eaton Road overpass also serves as the northernmost terminus of the Bikeway 99 Corridor, a dedicated 7-mile pedestrian and bicycle route running alongside Highway 99 through Chico to Skyway, according to the City of Chico. In April, the city's Public Works Engineering Department published environmental plans for a multilane roundabout project at the Eaton Road and State Route 99 interchange intended to reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, with construction planned for 2027.
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