Bam Margera is now under a 5150 hold due to concerns about his safety from his family.
TMZ reported that the famed Jackass actor was found by the police at Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles on Sunday. Unpredictable actions and speech, along with reported suicidal threats, led the authorities to decide he needed to be moved to a mental health facility.
As per Californian legislation, a person thought to pose a risk to themselves or others can be involuntarily detained for up to 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention.
It is not yet known whether Bam remains in the institution. His lawyer was approached by Yahoo Entertainment for additional details.
Bam journeyed to L.A. the previous week with the goal of visiting his 5-year-old son, Phoenix, whom he has with his estranged spouse, Nikki Margera.
Bam alleges through social media that Nikki has barred him from seeing Phoenix for several months due to his ongoing battle with addiction.
“Nikki prays for Bam’s safety, sobriety and mental health stability. She reached out to Bam to set up FaceTime calls for their son, but Bam has either not responded, or responded in a denigrating fashion,” Nikki’s lawyer, David Glass, informed Yahoo on Monday.
“Nikki prioritizes their son, Phoenix’s best interests first, and hopes that Bam gets the help he needs so he can be stable, consistent, and able to be a parent to their son. Nikki joins Bam’s family’s calls for Bam to get inpatient treatment for mental health and addictions.”
Jess Margera, Bam’s brother, made a public plea for help earlier on Sunday. He encouraged individuals in the L.A. region to alert the police “immediately” if they had information about Bam’s location.
The professional skateboarder’s life has been in a decline for months as he deals with substance and alcohol abuse in the midst of his separation from Nikki, who insists Bam cannot see Phoenix until he seeks treatment.
Jess, a few hours later, revealed that his brother had been located and was safe, yet the circumstances seemed serious.
“He texted us at 6 am, expressing love for us, Phoenix, and being ‘at peace.’ Mentioned taking pills to stop his heart. Heartbreaking. Thanks for sharing info,” tweeted Jess.
“He texted me and my parents at 6 am this morning saying he loves us he loves Phoenix and he is ‘at peace’ and that he took enough pills to stop his heart. And some heartbreaking stuff”, Jess shared on Twitter. “Thanks to everyone who shared info today.”
What does a 5150 hold entail? The term has been referred to in the media in relation to celebrities such as Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears, and Kanye West who have been put under psychiatric observation.
The figure 5150 relates to Code 5150, the segment of the State of California’s Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) concerning the “Detention of Mentally Disordered Persons for Evaluation and Treatment.”
The LAPD likely assessed Bam for a 5150 hold due to potential suicidality. If deemed necessary, he would undergo a mental health evaluation.
However, being placed on a hold doesn’t guarantee continued hospitalization. The hold can end if the criteria are no longer met, and discharge may occur before the full 72 hours and It can also be extended to a 5250 hold, lasting 14 days.
The one-time MTV celebrity threatened to consume crack until his death if Nikki did not permit him to see their child. In a post that has since been removed, Bam expressed he had not seen Phoenix in two months.
Nikki initiated divorce proceedings in February and is pursuing both legal and physical custody.
“I’m going to smoke crack with the bums down at the f***ing boardwalk until I’m dead unless you deliver me f***ing Phonix.”
“Get to work Nikki, or anyone that wants to help. I want Phoenix,” was Bam’s declaration last Thursday. He further accused his family of “driving” him “to drink.”
Nikki’s legal representative communicated to TMZ at the time, “Addictions don’t work that way. Behavior doesn’t drive others to drink.”
“Coping strategy, lack of progress from previous treatments. Nikki hopes Bam achieves and sustains sobriety for personal and son’s wellbeing.”
