BART Service Resumes Through Walnut Creek After Standoff
WALNUT CREEK (CBS SF) – BART service has resumed through the Walnut Creek station Wednesday after an unstable patron threatening to jump from a exterior ledge at the station was taken into custody.
BART initially reported the delay via the @SFBARTalert Twitter account at about 1:30 p.m.
Delay developing at WCRK in PITT and SFO dirs due to police activity.
— BART Alert (@SFBARTalert) April 19, 2017
A short time later it clarified that the station was closed and that no trains were stopping at the station in Walnut Creek.
While there were few details given initially regarding the police activity, the agency's other Twitter account @SFBART posted that it was an issue with an "unstable patron."
Unstable patron at Walnut Creek means no trains through the station - delays developing. Apologies as we work to de-escalate situation.
— BART (@SFBART) April 19, 2017
Chopper 5 later took video that showed a man standing on a ledge at the outside portion of the BART platform and hanging on to what appeared to be a drainage pipe. Authorities could be seen talking to the man and trying to convince him to come to safety.
Shortly after 5:15 p.m., BART tweeted that the man had been talked off the ledge and was on a firefighter ladder.
Unstable patron now on firefighter ladder; looks like this situation will hopefully be wrapping up soon.
— BART (@SFBART) April 20, 2017
The agency tweeted that the man was placed on a psychiatric hold and that train service had resumed at 5:38 p.m. The service stoppage lasted about three hours.
Normal service resuming. Walnut Creek station reopened. The man came down from the ledge and has been placed on emergency psychiatric hold.
— BART (@SFBART) April 20, 2017
BART said Contra Costa County Transit provided parallel bus service through several lines, including bus 25, 15 and 9, during the closure.
The bus bridge was put in place to serve passengers between Lafayette and Pleasant Hill with parallel service for passengers in both directions shortly before 3 p.m.