According to reports from the San Mateo County Times, a 45-year-old Menlo Park, Calif., woman was taken into custody for mental evaluation Sunday night after stepping in front of a northbound Caltrain. Witnesses at the Atherton Caltrain station spotted the woman around 7:30 p.m. walking on the east side of the tracks before stepping in front of an oncoming train. The conductor, who was already in the process of stopping, was able to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.
Police followed the woman as she continued to walk the tracks. She then turned, put her hands behind her back, and told officers she had a handgun. Police responded by deploying a TASER electronic control device to place her in custody. The woman was later found to be unarmed.
"She was noncompliant and suicidal," Sgt. Tim Lynch said Tuesday. "It was the only way to get her subdued."
The woman was transported to local hospital for 72-hour mental evaluation.
For more information on the TASER, visit www.taser.com.
