A man has been connected to mental health services after a critical incident yesterday involving several of our officers that ultimately resulted in briefly shutting down Highway 85. 

Around 4 pm on Monday, July 25, Mountain View dispatchers received a call from a man who said his adult son was in crisis and that the son was in the downtown area inside a silver Prius that apparently had a flat tire.  

Officers immediately responded to the area in an effort to find the man’s son when our dispatch center received a second call of a reckless driver in the area of Sylvan Drive near El Camino Real. Officers re-routed their response, as the car matched the description of the adult son’s vehicle, and found it unoccupied at Sylvan Park.

Additional officers responding to the Sylvan Park spotted a man matching the son’s description walking eastbound on El Camino Real over Highway 85 and attempted to stop him. However, the adult son took off running onto northbound Highway 85. He then crossed all lanes of northbound Highway 85 traffic during commute hours and started to cross the southbound lanes but doubled back.

Officers, who were running after the man on foot to try and get him to safety, ultimately had to tackle him in the clover leaf area and detain him. One officer was injured in the process.

The man was immediately transported to an area hospital and will be provided additional mental health resources as well. The officer self-transported himself to an area hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Media inquiries can be sent to PIO Katie Nelson at policepio@mountainview.gov.