By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
A pair of cyclists were enjoying a day of sunshine in Piedmont when a man in a truck threatened them with a gun, police officials confirmed Tuesday.
A witness saw a man on NW 164th near Mustang Road around 3 p.m. Monday drive up to the cyclists and appeared to be uttering threats and pointing a gun.
The gunman, whom Police Chief Scott Singer said could not be identified due to mental health confidentiality laws, was later found at his home with two weapons.
“We located the truck and found him. One weapon was old and jammed up and non-functioning and the other one was too,” Singer said. “He freely disclosed to us that he was having a mental health issue. He had not been taking his medication.”
Police did not arrest the man but chose to take him into protective custody which allows them to perform an emergency order of detention (EOD). During an EOD, police transport people who are at risk of self-harm or harming others due to their mental condition to a facility for treatment.
“The weapons were seized and the last we knew he was being dealt with at a mental health system facility,” Singer reported.
Mental health patients have protection under state law from having their identity disclosed in the event police choose not to arrest them.
Singer said they did not locate the cyclists. It was unclear why the man accosted them.
