Police use Taser, less-lethal projectile gun to detain sickle-wielding man near Cal campus
Berkley CA February 18, 2024 City and university police officers used several less-lethal projectile launchers and a Taser to apprehend a man carrying a sickle and a 6-foot stick near Telegraph and Durant avenues Thursday evening.
City police got a call for a man with cuts on his body, carrying a machete — which turned out to actually be a sickle — and a stick around 4:48 p.m., Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Jessica Perry said in an email.
When officers arrived, the area was thick with pedestrians and cars and the man was walking in a roadway, Perry said.
University police officers also went to the call and found the man walking west on Bancroft Way towards Dana Street, Perry said. Several officers followed the man, who headed back onto Telegraph, and told passersby to keep their distance or stay inside.
“Officers gave the subject commands to drop the sickle, but they did not comply with commands,” Perry wrote. City police officers used an FN 303 launcher and a 40mm launcher, which fire less-lethal projectiles, “in an attempt to detain the subject, which was not effective,” Perry wrote. “UCPD deployed a Taser around 4:59 p.m., and the subject was detained without further incident,” and sent to a hospital, Perry said. He had not been booked as of Friday morning.
No passersby or police officers were injured, Perry said.
