Knife-wielding man trying to elude police plunges off Phoenix freeway

PHOENIX — A partially undressed, knife-wielding man attempting to elude police jumped off a freeway overpass near downtown Phoenix on Friday morning.

The unidentified man was taken to a local hospital and was expected to recover. Details about his injuries were not provided.

Police officers were attempting to subdue the man, who was behaving erratically, on Interstate 17 above Seventh Avenue at around 10 a.m.

Television video showed the man, wearing just shorts, climbing on top of a car in the southbound lanes before running to the side of the roadway and plunging over the guardrail.

“It appears that when the individual thought he was jumping off of the freeway onto a ledge or something, he was jumping down onto the pavement on Seventh Avenue,” Sgt. Tommy Thompson of the Phoenix Police Department said.

Thompson said officers were trying to calm the man down during the incident.

“It’s irrational behavior to jump up on the freeway, start to disrobe and then crawl on top of a car with a knife,” Thompson said.

Thompson described the weapon as a 12-inch boning knife.

Seventh Avenue southbound was closed while police investigated.

The exits have reopened, but 7th Ave remains closed under I-17. https://t.co/ceB7NCTJnU

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) July 6, 2018

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