Berkeley police respond to report of woman in crisis
BPD said the woman reportedly had a stick and a knife but was not brandishing them.
A large police response Friday afternoon in Berkeley drew questions from passing motorists and community members on University Avenue.
Available details were slim as of publication time, but officers responded just before 2 p.m. to the 1300 block of University to investigate a woman in the area who was possibly in crisis, Berkeley police said.
BPD said the woman reportedly had a stick and a knife but was not brandishing them.
The department has been speaking with the woman for hours and also called in mental health resources to help resolve and de-escalate the situation, Berkeley police said.
According to BPD, the woman was on the sidewalk near an apartment complex on the south side of the street east of The Berkeley School.
WATCH: Here's a look at the long line of police cars in Berkeley on University Avenue on Friday. Officers have been responding since about 2 p.m. to a report of a woman in crisis, trying to de-escalate the situation, BPD tells us. A Scanner reader shared this video with us. pic.twitter.com/ze8Tdq7ZRC
— The Berkeley Scanner (@BerkeleyScanner) January 13, 2024
BPD said people were standing in the median in an effort to observe what was happening.
Police had not declared the situation an emergency or turned on its emergency beeper, BPD said.
"They're just trying to talk to her," said Officer Jessica Perry, department spokeswoman.
The Berkeley Fire Department and Albany Police Department are also on scene.
This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.
