HEMET — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon after a standoff with Hemet police outside the Mother’s Nutritional Center at 199 N. State St.
The incident began at approximately 3:30 p.m. Aug. 15 after officers located the man sitting inside a parked vehicle. Earlier in the day, the driver allegedly led officers on a brief pursuit near Stetson Avenue and State Street, but police terminated the pursuit.
Officers later found the vehicle on North State Street. Police were advised that the man, who reportedly has a history of contact with the department and a mental health condition, had a knife inside the vehicle.
Employees were evacuated through the rear of the business as officers established a perimeter. American Medical Response personnel and Hemet firefighters staged outside the perimeter while police attempted to persuade the man to leave the vehicle.
The driver initially refused officers’ commands to get out. Officers eventually approached the vehicle and took him into custody without further reported incident.
The man was transported to a hospital for evaluation. He was later placed in a holding cell pending transportation to the Riverside County jail.
His identity and information about any potential criminal charges were not immediately available.
