MANKATO — A man suffering a mental health crisis in downtown Mankato forced the closure of Riverfront Drive Monday morning, but the situation was resolved with no injuries, city officials reported in a news release.
The Mankato Department of Public Safety received a request for assistance from the Waseca County Sheriff’s Office at about 9 a.m., asking for help in locating a male in the area of Riverfront Drive and Mulberry Street.
“Responding Mankato Public Safety officers located the individual at the top of the Civic Center parking ramp and immediately began communicating with him,” according to a summary from Mankato Communications Director Paul David.
The ramp, located on the back side of the Civic Center arena, overlooks Riverfront Drive. Both northbound and southbound lanes of Riverfront near the ramp were closed to traffic due to the significant number of personnel responding to the scene and the need to provide emergency personnel with adequate space to manage the incident.
“Officers spent approximately two hours communicating with the individual and working to safely resolve the situation,” David shared in the release. “Officers were ultimately able to reach him without incident.”
The man was taken to the Mankato hospital for further evaluation and care.
“There were no reported injuries associated with the incident,” the release said. “Mankato Public Safety appreciates the patience of the community while emergency personnel worked to safely resolve the situation.”