by Bam Margera has been placed in a 5150 hold after his family feared for his life.
According to TMZ, police found the asshole star in Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles on Sunday, and because of erratic speech, behavior and alleged suicidal threats, authorities ruled that he should be taken to a mental health facility. Under California law, a person deemed a danger to themselves or others may be held involuntarily for up to 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention. It is unclear if Bam is still in the facility. Yahoo Entertainment contacted its attorney for more information.
Bam traveled to LA last week in an attempt to see his 5-year-old son, Phoenix, who he shares with his estranged wife, Nikki Margera. Bam claimed on social media that Nikki prevented him from seeing Phoenix for months amid his addiction battle.
“Nikki continues to pray for Bam’s safety, sobriety and mental health stability. She has reached out to Bam to try to set up FaceTime calls for their son, but Bam has not responded or commented in a derogatory manner,” Nikki’s lawyer David Glass told Yahoo on Monday. Nikki continues to put their son, Phoenix’s best interests first and hopes Bam gets the help he needs so he can be stable and consistent and be a parent to their son. Nikki joins the appeals of the family of Bam to have Bam admitted to hospital. treatment for mental health and addictions.”
Here’s what’s going on.
Bam’s brother pleaded for help from the public earlier on Sunday
Jess Margera asked people in the LA area to contact police “immediately” if they knew where Bam was. The pro skateboarder has been on a downward spiral for months as he struggles with drug and alcohol abuse amid his divorce from Nikki, who will not allow Bam to see Phoenix until he enters treatment.
Jess revealed hours later that his brother had been found safe, but the situation sounded dire. “He texted me and my parents at 6am this morning and said he loves us, he loves Phoenix and he’s at ‘peace’ and he’s taken enough pills to stop his heart. And a some really heartbreaking dark shit,” Jess tweeted. “Thank you to everyone who shared information today.”
What is a 5150 Clearance?
The term has been used in the media as Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears and Kanye West are among the stars placed under psychiatric observation. The issue relates to Code 5150, the portion of California’s Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) regarding the “detention of mentally disturbed persons for evaluation and treatment.”
The LAPD likely called in its mental evaluation unit to determine if Bam met the criteria for a 5150 hold. If he was suicidal, as text messages suggested, Bam would not be arrested, but taken to a facility for examination by mental health professionals. But just because he was placed for psychiatric evaluation on Sunday doesn’t mean he’s still there. The law states that his care team must break the watch when the patient no longer meets the criteria for compulsory hospitalization. So if a person is on hold for 72 hours, they can be released sooner. Alternatively, a 5150 can be upgraded to a 5250, which is a 14-day retention period.
Bam posted an alarming diatribe last week
The former MTV star threatened to smoke crack until he died unless Nikki allowed him to see their son. In a now-deleted post, Bam claimed he hadn’t seen Phoenix in two months. (Nikki filed for divorce in February and is seeking legal and physical custody.)
“I’m gonna smoke crack with the bums on the goddamn boardwalk until I’m dead, unless you get me goddamn Phoenix. Get to work Nikki, or anyone willing to help. I want Phoenix,” Bam declared last Thursday. He also blamed his family for getting him “drinking”.
Nikki’s lawyer told TMZ at the time, “Unfortunately, addictions don’t work that way. People’s behavior doesn’t drive others to drink. This is a typical defense mechanism and it shows that Bam may not have learned much while treating his addiction in the past. You have to take responsibility for your own actions. Nikki sincerely hopes that Bam can first achieve and then maintain sobriety, for his own good and for the good of their son.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Referral Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357)
