*CHP update below*

Many southbound commuters just lit up the LoCO asking what the heck was going on at the Tompkins Hill Road onramp about 20 minutes ago. Traffic was slowed and stopped as California Highway Patrol officers pointed a taser at a man.

Officer Matt Harvey tells the Outpost that just before 9:30 a.m., the CHP responded to a call of a person hanging out the “gore point” of the Tompkins Hill onramp. When they arrived at the scene, they noticed that the man was behaving erratically. He attempted to run away. They pursued.

Eventually one of the officers took out his taser and pointed it at the man, at which point he allowed himself to be taken into custody. The taser was not deployed.

Harvey said CHP is in the process of arranging for the person to be transported to Sempervirens.

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UPDATE, 2:26 p.m.: CHP press release:

On Friday, March 6th, just prior to 8:00 am, a California Highway Patrol (CHP) Humboldt Area officer was on routine patrol when he observed an adult male pedestrian, later identified as 30 year old Matthew Glen Morgan, standing within the US-101 Northbound traffic lanes near Hookton Road.  Morgan had placed a traffic cone within the lanes and was waving orange flags back and forth for no apparent reason.  As the officer turned his patrol vehicle around to make contact with Morgan, Morgan had left the scene and was initially unable to be located.

At approximately 9:25 am, CHP dispatch received a call of a male pedestrian in the center divider of US-101 near Hookton Road “flipping off” passing motorists.  A CHP officer responded to the scene and located Morgan along the east shoulder of US-101.  As the officer attempted to make contact with Morgan, he evaded the officer on foot across traffic lanes, causing traffic to come to a stop.  The officer caught up with Morgan and detained him by displaying his Conductive Energy Weapon (Taser).  Morgan complied with the officer and the officer was able to take him into custody without further incident.  Morgan was transferred to Sempervirens Psychiatric Health Facility in Eureka, where he was admitted per 5150 W&I.  A records check revealed that Morgan was on probation for public intoxication.  He is believed to be a transient within the northern Humboldt County area.

The CHP encourages motorists to report suspicious activity by dialing 9-1-1, or by dialing the CHP dispatch non-emergency line at (707) 268-2000.