I-95 reopens after a brief shut down from a man with a gun
Both directions of Interstate 95 near Girard Avenue and Christopher Columbus Boulevard were shut down Friday morning.
Interstate 95 in Philadelphia reopened following a two-hour shutdown Friday morning after police say a man experiencing a mental-health crisis crashed into the side of the highway, then emerged from his car with a gun.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said that just before 8:30 a.m. Friday, a police lieutenant driving southbound saw a car swerve and hit the median. When the lieutenant approached the car, Vanore said, the driver jumped out and pointed a gun at his head.
Both directions of the highway were shutdown between Christopher Columbus Boulevard and Girard Avenue as the man briefly fled on foot southbound on 95. Officers trained in crisis intervention attempted to talk with him, police said.
After about 20 minutes, the man dropped his weapon and was taken into custody with no injuries, police said. He has been transported to a local hospital to be evaluated, and the gun was recovered.
Police did not release the man’s name, and did not say what, if any, charges he might face.
The highway was closed for about two hours as police worked to recover evidence on the highway, including pieces of the firearm that were discarded, and tow the man’s vehicle. Both directions were reopened around 10:30 a.m., according to the City’s Office of Emergency Management.