Philomath commuters and others in and around Corvallis Friday morning might’ve encountered a traffic situation on Highway 20/34 near the Van Buren bridge, which spans the Willamette River.
Corvallis Police closed the bridge in the interest of public safety because of a 25-year-old Corvallis man who was possibly armed and in the midst of an apparent mental health crisis.
After receiving a report that the man had left his home, police located his vehicle in the downtown area.
“After initiating a traffic stop, the male proceeded to stop his car near the intersection of First Street and Van Buren Avenue and refused to cooperate with officer commands,” Corvallis Police said through a news release. “For public safety due to the report of potential firearms, command staff requested the shut down of the Van Buren bridge.”
Benton County Behavioral Health staff were called in to assist Corvallis Police and after two hours of communication, the incident was resolved peacefully. The man was transported to a facility for a mental health evaluation and the bridge reopened to the public at 11:07 a.m.