Man arrested after rooftop incident at Katy Freeway Chick-fil-A

Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, backed by the office’s Crisis Intervention Team and SWAT, arrested a 46-year-old man who climbed onto the roof of the Chick-fil-A at 19300 Katy Freeway near Fry Road on Jan. 9. The restaurant was evacuated after the man, who deputies say was allegedly intoxicated and armed with a box cutter, began removing and tossing his clothing from the roof.

Deputies negotiated with the man and brought him into custody without injuries to him, employees or patrons. He was transported to a hospital for evaluation. Authorities discovered open felony warrants from Galveston County and subsequently filed felony charges for criminal mischief and damage to a building in Harris County.

The sheriff’s office described the episode as involving a suspected mental-health or substance-related crisis and urged community awareness of mental health resources. The response highlighted a growing role for crisis intervention teams in Harris County policing, with deputies trained to de-escalate situations that may stem from mental illness or intoxication rather than traditional criminal intent.

For residents and businesses along the Katy Freeway corridor, the incident underscores how quickly a single disturbance can force an evacuation and disrupt a workplace. Restaurant staff and patrons were put at risk and displaced while officers secured the scene. Local workers who routinely interact with the public are often the first to face these situations, and the event points to the need for accessible training, workplace safety planning and clear connections to behavioral health supports.

Public health experts say episodes like this reflect broader gaps in community mental health care — from limited crisis beds and mobile outreach teams to inadequate access for people struggling with substance use. They also raise questions about whether law enforcement-led crisis response is the right front line for mental-health emergencies, especially in communities where stigma and barriers to care are common.

If you are worried about someone in crisis, call 911 for immediate danger or emergency medical assistance. For nonemergency help, local clinics, community mental health providers and the national 988 Lifeline can connect people to support. Businesses can reduce harm by training staff in how to safely pause service and contact authorities or crisis responders.

Our two cents? Keep an eye out for neighbors and co-workers, learn who your local behavioral health contacts are, and push for more community-based crisis resources so situations like this are handled with health-centered care rather than only with criminal charges.