Man in Joker Halloween costume safely brought down from bridge over 170 Freeway
A man wearing a Joker costume who threatened to jump from a pedestrian bridge overlooking the 170 Freeway near North Hollywood on Wednesday morning has been safely brought down from the precipice, police said.
The man, who was not identified, was helped from the bridge near Whitsett Avenue around noon, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Southbound lanes of the 170 Freeway have since been reopened. The man was not injured, but police could not say whether he had been formally arrested or simply taken in for a mental health evaluation.
Officers were dispatched to the pedestrian bridge shortly after 9 a.m., authorities said.
The man was described as a “possible jumper.” Television images showed him dressed in a purple-and-green costume to resemble Batman’s archnemesis the Joker.
Officials with the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Fire Department also were on the scene, according to Lee, who said it was unclear whether the man was communicating with rescue officials.
Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.
UPDATES:
1:20 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the man’s rescue.
11:15 a.m.: This article was updated with details on the section of freeway that has been shut down.
This article was originally published at 10:15 a.m.
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