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It began around 8:30 a.m. when officers spotted an "erratic" driver in the southbound lane near the Girard Avenue exit, police said.
When a PPD lieutenant pulled the car over, officials said the driver got out with a pistol in his hand.
Police ordered the driver to put the weapon down while they called for SWAT and crisis-intervention-trained backup, the department said.
The man allegedly "placed (the gun) to his own head" several times, and at one point got in a parked police cruiser, which he "eventually exited with the gun again pointed at his head," according to authorities.
After 20 minutes, police said they were able to convince the man to drop the weapon and he was taken into custody.
"Preliminarily, the male appears to be in crisis, and will be transported to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation," PPD said.
No police civilians were hurt during the ordeal, they added.
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