Man in apparent mental health crisis steals airport tanker truck, drives on runway
CHICO CA March 9 2019 — A man Wednesday allegedly stole an jet fuel tanker truck and drove it on a runway at the Chico airport before he was detained, police said.
The man — whose name was not released — appeared to have been suffering from a mental health episode and was ultimately taken to a mental health facility for treatment and services, police said.
No injuries were reported.
The incident began about 1 p.m. Wednesday when police received a call from a man asking for help and stating he was suicidal, according to a Chico Police Department news release. The man wouldn’t say where he was calling from, only giving the general area of El Paso Way and East Lassen Avenue.
Officers checked the area but couldn’t find the man, police said. The man also wouldn’t stay on the line with police.
About an hour later, police received a call from the same man, police said. The man said he had stolen a truck at the airport in north Chico. While police were on the phone with the man, they received a second call reporting that an unauthorized vehicle was traveling on a runway.
Police described the vehicle as a jet fuel tanker truck that was privately owned by an aviation company operating out of the airport. Air traffic was alerted and no aircraft was in jeopardy.
Once officers arrived on the scene, they found the fuel truck outside the airport’s secure area, driving near Liberator and Boeing avenues, police said. The driver of the truck yielded “almost immediately” when officers tried to stop the vehicle.
The truck’s driver then got out of the truck and began pacing near the vehicle, police said.
“it was obvious to the … officers on scene the subject was suffering from a mental health crisis,” according to the news release. “(Chico police) officers on scene started verbal dialogue with the subject.”
Both officers on the scene at the time were trained in crisis intervention techniques, police said, and the officers began to de-escalate the situation by talking with the man.
A few moments passed before the man voluntarily sat on a sidewalk, police said. He was placed in handcuffs as a precaution and did not suffer any injuries.
The man was subsequently taken to a local mental health facility for treatment.
The fuel truck was taken from within a secure, fenced area of the airport, where access is prohibited, police said. It was unclear how the man entered the secure area, and the incident remained under investigation.
There was minor damage to an exit gate there, but the truck did not sustain any damage.
Police said the truck was returned to its owner.
