RIVERSIDE: Naked and distraught man walking in traffic safely detained

RIVERSIDE – A naked man who was walking in traffic stating he wanted to die was safely detained by officers Monday, Jan. 16. The man was hospitalized for his own protection after he was apprehended. The incident happened in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Chicago Avenue in Riverside.

Officers responded to the area about 6:20 p.m., after City of Riverside emergency dispatchers received numerous 911 calls from motorists and other witnesses who called to report the man’s “odd behavior” and actions, according to a Riverside PD press release.

When they arrived, officers found the nude subject still attempting to disrupt traffic. He was highly agitated and repeatedly claimed he wanted to die.

During the incident, officers attempted to calm the distraught man but he refused the officer’s offers for help and repeatedly said he wanted officers to shoot him.

While officers were talking to the man he suddenly attempted to run into oncoming traffic in an attempt to harm himself. The officers leaped into action and grabbed him, safely detaining him before he could hurt himself.

Once officers had safely subdued the subject, he was transported to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.

There were no reported injuries associated with the incident.

 

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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.