Beckham County, OK — A man experiencing a mental health crisis was safely taken into protective custody Friday after an incident along Highway 6 near the Four Corners area north of Sayre.
According to Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning, deputies responded after receiving a report from a motorist who observed a shirtless man walking along the highway, gesturing wildly and running into traffic.
The incident occurred near the Highway 6 and Highway 152 junction, commonly known as Four Corners or the 12-Mile Junction.
"When I first rolled up behind him, he was gesturing wildly, screaming and yelling, swinging his shirt around his head," Manning said.
Manning and a deputy attempted to make contact with the man, but he refused to engage with them and continued walking north. Officers also noticed what appeared to be a knife handle protruding from the man's waistband.
The deputy had encountered the same individual the previous day and had provided him a ride, noting that while the man appeared troubled at the time, he had not been nearly as agitated.
As officers attempted to approach, the man repeatedly ran into and out of traffic, creating a hazardous situation for motorists. Manning described the encounter as similar to a baseball rundown, with the man moving back and forth between officers while they worked to contain him safely.
Additional assistance arrived from the Beckham County Sheriff's Office, allowing officers to close the distance. During the encounter, the man removed an object from his waistband, prompting a deputy to draw a Taser as a precaution.
Before officers could take him into custody, the man ran again and eventually attempted to climb into a patrol vehicle occupied by Manning and the undersheriff.
Manning said officers were able to remove him from the vehicle, place him on the ground, and take him into custody without the use of force.
"Fortunately, we didn't have to use any force," Manning said. "Once he got to us and tried to get in the vehicle and we didn't let him in, he surrendered to us and we were able to take him into custody."
During the incident, officers learned from the man's girlfriend that he had been experiencing suicidal thoughts and ongoing mental health struggles. She reported he had been living outdoors for several months and was attempting to travel to Sayre in search of work.
After being detained, the man was transported to Red Rock Behavioral Health Services for evaluation and treatment.
Investigators later determined the object officers initially believed could be a weapon was a back scratcher. The man was also found to have a knife and a putty knife in his possession.
Manning praised the deputy involved for his patience and restraint throughout the encounter.
"My deputy used a great deal of discretion and judgment because those are dangerous situations," Manning said. "He used his patience, kept his distance, did all the things that we train to do and allowed us to catch back up to their location and end that incident peacefully and get the guy some help."
Manning noted that law enforcement agencies throughout the area have responded to several mental health-related incidents in recent weeks.
"I think a lot of it is this time of year," he said. "It's warmer weather, there are more people moving around, there are more people staying outside. More movement outside results in some of these incidents occurring more."
No injuries were reported during the incident.
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