WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — It all happened off Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem, several agencies were called out to a naked man climbing on a Duke Energy transmission tower.
As a safety precaution, Duke Energy had to shut off power in the area, which impacted several residential areas and businesses.
First responders quickly determined this was a mental health emergency, so Winston-Salem's Crisis Negotiation Team along with the BEAR Team responded. Winston Salem police said those teams played a crucial role in getting him down.
BEAR stands for Behavioral Evaluation and Response Team, it was formed in May to respond to these types of emergencies.
More than three and a half hours after their initial response, the man was finally on the ground safely. He wasn't arrested, but rather taken to a facility to seek treatment.
Local mental health expert Nannette Funderburk said it's important to remember those going through a mental health crisis are still human, even further than that, they're someone's loved one.
"I would definitely say there was some level of desperation, and this probably feels like the only way to get a particular need met," Funderburk said.
Several onlookers stood outside of the shopping center across the street from the transmission tower watching the man and taking videos of him climbing down. Both officials and our mental health experts ask that the public respect his privacy as mental health is a serious matter.
"We asked the community to respect this individual and privacy. Mental health is something we take very seriously here at the WSPD," said WSPD's Public Information Officer, Annie Sims.
"Even when the situation seems like something you would not do, it doesn't mean that we have to treat or we can treat the situation any differently, or with any less respect," said Funderburk.
Although WFMY News 2 was there, out of respect for the individual, we chose not to show a video of him on or climbing down from the transmission tower.