Chief Joseph O’Connor
219 Walden Street
P.O. Box 519
Concord, MA 01742
For Immediate Release
Friday, April 3, 2015
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Concord Police Respond to Emerson Hospital after Report of Armed Man
CONCORD — Police Chief Joseph O’Connor reports that the Concord Police Department responded this morning to Emerson Hospital for a report of a man, who was leaving the hospital and was making threats to harm himself and others.
Police responded to the hospital at 8:25 a.m. and met with relatives of a 59-year-old Pepperell man. The family members told police that the man had become distraught and was threatening to harm himself and others. The man ran from the hospital, to the helicopter landing pad on the hospital grounds.
When officers approached, the man pulled out a knife and threatened to kill himself and the officers.
Acting out of an abundance of caution, during the daytime at a busy public facility, the Concord Police Department requested the assistance of neighboring communities, as well as the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) SWAT Team, Massachusetts State Police and the State Police Air Wing.
After about an hour and a half of negotiations between police, including a NEMLEC negotiator and Concord Police Sergeant Christopher Troiano, and the man, he surrendered peacefully.
“This is an example of quick work by police, using specialized units and advanced training to save life today,” Chief O’Connor said. “The arrival of the NEMLEC SWAT Team and a trained negotiator helped de-escalate this situation. I am proud of the partnerships that the Concord Police Department has established with its partner agencies, and I am relieved to report that no one was hurt during an incident that could have been much worse.”
The man, whose name is not being released, is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at Emerson Hospital.
Emerson Hospital’s Emergency Room diverted patients away from the hospital during the incident.
Mutual aid was provided by the Maynard Police Department, NEMLEC, the State Police, and the Bedford Fire Department.
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