Bam Margera was placed in a 5150 hold after his family feared for his life.
According to TMZ, police found the file Donkey at Trejo’s Tacos in Los Angeles on Sunday, and due to erratic speech, behavior and alleged suicide threats, authorities decided he should be taken to a mental health facility. Under California law, if a person is deemed a danger to themselves or others, they may be involuntarily held for psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention for up to 72 hours. It is unclear if Bam is still in the facility. Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to its attorney for more information.
Bam traveled to Los Angeles last week in a bid to see his 5-year-old son, Phoenix, who he shares with his estranged wife, Nikki Margera. Bam claimed on social media that Nikki blocked him from seeing Phoenix for months between his addiction struggles.
“Nikki continues to pray for Bam’s safety, sobriety, and stable mental health. She has reached out to Bam to try to arrange FaceTime calls for their son, but Bam has either not returned or responded in a disparaging manner,” the attorney of Nikki, David Glass, tells Yahoo on Monday. “Nikki continues to put their son first, Phoenix’s best interests, and hopes 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 pleas for Bam to be admitted for mental health and addiction treatment.”
Here’s what’s happening.
On Sunday, Bam’s brother asked for help from the public
Jess Margera asked people in the Los Angeles area to contact police “immediately” if they knew Bam’s whereabouts. The pro skateboarder has been on a downward spiral for months as he struggles with addiction drugs and alcohol during his divorce from Nikki, which won’t allow Bam to see Phoenix until she begins treatment.
Jess revealed hours later that her brother was found safe, but the situation looked dire. “This morning at 6am he texted me and my parents saying he loves us, that he loves Phoenix and is ‘at peace’ and that he’s been on enough pills to stop his heart. And some really heartbreaking dark stuff,” Jess tweeted. “Thanks to everyone who shared information today.”
What is a 5150 suspension?
The term has been used in the media as Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears and Kanye West are among the stars who have been placed under psychiatric observation. The number refers to code 5150, the section of the California State Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) on “Detention of persons with mental disorders for evaluation and treatment.”
The LAPD likely called its Mental Evaluation Unit to determine if Bam met the criteria for a 5150 suspension. If he was suicidal, as the text messages suggested, Bam would not have been arrested, but taken to a facility for review by mental health professionals. But just because he underwent psychiatric evaluation on Sunday doesn’t mean he’s still there. The law stipulates that his care team must break the hold when the patient no longer meets the criteria for involuntary hospitalization. So if a person is on hold for 72 hours, they could be released sooner. Alternatively, a 5150 can be extended to a 5250, which is a 14 day suspension.
Bam posted an alarming rant last week
The former MTV star has threatened to smoke crack until he dies unless Nikki lets him see his son. In a now-deleted post, Bam said he hasn’t seen Phoenix in two months. (Nikki filed for divorce in February and is seeking legal and physical custody.)
“I’m going to smoke crack with the bums down on the fucking boardwalk until I’m dead unless you deliver me the fucking Phoenix. Get to work Nikki, or whoever wants to help. I want Phoenix,” Bam said last Thursday. She also blamed her family for “driving” him to “drink”.
Nikki’s attorney told TMZ at the time, “Unfortunately, that’s not how addictions work. People’s behavior doesn’t drive others to drink. This is a typical defense mechanism and shows Bam may not have learned a lot in the treatment of his past addiction. You have to take responsibility for your actions. Nikki sincerely hopes that Bam can first achieve and then maintain sobriety, for her sake and for the sake of her son.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact the Substance Abuse Services and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Reference Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357)
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