University of California at Berkeley police arrested a man who’s been living in a tree early Friday morning after he allegedly tried to a cut another man with a knife, a police lieutenant said.
Matt Dodt set up a makeshift home in one of the trees in Berkeley’s People’s Park at Haste and Bowditch streets several weeks ago, possibly as a form of protest, police Lt. Marc Decoulode said.
The victim said Dodt invited him up into the tree to talk, but a dispute broke out, and Dodt allegedly tried to cut the man’s neck with a knife, Decoulode said.
The victim brought his hand up to his neck in time to protect himself, and Dodt sliced his hand instead, Decoulode said.
The relationship between Dodt and the victim is not known, Decoulode said.
Police responded to the victim’s report at around 9:20 p.m. on Thursday, but Dodt refused to come down from the tree until about 3:15 a.m. today.
“We brought in ladders and cherry pickers to try to remove him, but eventually he came down on his own after four or five hours,” Decoulode said.
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