Man Having 'Mental Episode' Stopped by Police

A 30-year-old Tampa man is undergoing evaluation under Florida’s Baker Act following an unusual chase through town.

The incident began to unfold when a Tampa Police Officer spotted the man driving northbound in the southbound lanes at North 21st Street and East Adamo Drive. When the officer pulled alongside the man, he appeared “frantic,” an email from the agency to media stated. The man yelled, “they are going to kill me,” the email said.

Officers followed the man and tried to stop his 2007 Ford F150 pickup truck several times using “stop sticks” and P.I.T. maneuvers. Several marked units also tried to “box in” the man, but were unsuccessful, the email said.

“After approximately 22 minutes at low speeds and three flat tires, the subject was stopped at Grady and Waters,” the email said. The man was “subsequently taken into custody under the Florida Baker Act.”

The Baker Act provides for an involuntary 72-hour mental health evaluation in crisis cases. Police officers and others have the authority to place individuals in custody under the act.

Patch is not releasing the name of the man.

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