Upper Gwynedd Township Police have released details from a barricaded subject incident that occurred on Wednesday afternoon along the 1400 block of Marlyns Lane.
The incident began at 12:45 p.m. on Oct. 30, after the mother of a 56-year-old male requested assistance from police for a mental health crisis involving her son. An involuntary mental health commitment (302) was completed and approved, but the male refused to be taken for evaluation, and instead barricaded himself in his bedroom and displayed two large knives to officers.
“A commander and two negotiators from Montgomery County SWAT, Central Region, responded to assist, at my request,” said Upper Gwynedd Police Chief David Duffy. “The negotiators were also unable to convince the male to surrender peacefully, and the tactical commander reviewed our plan to safely secure the subject.”
After several hours of negotiations, police then entered the room and took the man into custody. Though Duffy added that the man did resist arrest, police do not plan on filing any criminal charges. The man was then taken to the Montgomery County Emergency Services Building in Norristown for evaluation.
“Neither the subject nor any officers were injured during the incident,” said Duffy. “However, the subject was treated for the effects of pepper spray, and the Upper Gwynedd Fire Department ventilated the house due to the spray.”
The scene was cleared at 3:20 p.m. Afterwards, Upper Gwynedd Township Police issued the following statement, via Facebook:
The incident on Marlyns Lane has now been resolved and the road is now open for traffic. At no point did we believe there to be a threat to the community, but took precautions as needed. Thank you for your cooperation as we worked to resolve the incident.
In addition to the units from Montgomery County SWAT and Upper Gwynedd Fire Department, Lansdale Borough Police brought an additional protective shield, per Duffy’s request. The name of the male has not been released, as no charges have been filed.
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