I-95 in Philadelphia reopened after being closed due to police activity; man taken into custody

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Interstate 95 is back open and a man is in police custody after the roadway was temporarily shut down through part of Philadelphia Friday.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m., police said they stopped a vehicle that was being driven erratically in the southbound lanes of I-95 near the Girard Avenue exit. When the driver stopped, police said he got out of the vehicle armed with a semiautomatic handgun.

Another officer quickly arrived and they both repeatedly ordered the man to drop the gun.

The officers then called for backup, including SWAT and crisis intervention trained (CIT) officers to assist.

I-95 was closed in both directions during this incident.

Police said, at one point, the armed man briefly got into one of the officers' parked cars but eventually got out.

After roughly 20 minutes, officers were able to convince the man to drop his weapon and Chopper 6 was overhead when he was taken into police custody.

He was then taken to a nearby hospital for a mental health evaluation. No injuries were reported.