Man rams gate at Bowerman Airport

A 43-year old man rammed his Honda Pilot SUV into the fence surrounding the runway at Bowerman Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Hoquiam Police were alerted first at around 12:30 p.m. to reports of a vehicle driving recklessly on Airport Way, then a few minutes later a caller told police the vehicle had rammed the security fence on an access road to the tarmac. The driver appeared to be “almost comatose” behind the wheel when officers approached, staring straight ahead and clutching a twig in his hand, and said, “God told me to do it,” according to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.

At the time of the incident there was a small, single-engine aircraft using the tarmac. Officers were able to keep the man calm and take his keys while an ambulance was dispatched. Paramedics were able to get the man out of the car and to Grays Harbor Community Hospital, where he was evaluated for injuries and to have a psychological evaluation.

“Over the past 20 years, the incidents facing officers which involve mental illness have increased,” said Myers. “Officers are constantly challenged with evaluating the problem and trying to intervene on the street with people who should probably be in a hospital receiving treatment. Although crisis intervention technique training is now required for all peace officers in Washington State, we have a long way to go to address the underlying mental health crisis in our state.”