A 41-year-old Shelton man surrendered to police after a standoff at his Longview Road home that lasted nearly three hours Thursday.
The man, who was not identified by police, was not injured, but was taken in an ambulance to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.
The man was in the backyard of his home during the standoff, and no other people were involved or threatened by him, police said.
The incident began about 3:15 p.m., police said in a prepared statement, when a woman called 911 saying the man was in his yard threatening to harm himself.
Police said the woman did not know the man.
Officers arrived and saw the man was “in possession of a firearm,” according to a prepared statement from police.
About 4:30 p.m. police alerted residents to the incident via Facebook, advising those in homes nearby that they were negotiating with a man carrying a firearm and advising them to shelter in place.
Some residents of nearby homes were also evacuated, said Lt. Robert Kozlowsky, the police department’s spokesman, at about 6:15 p.m.
As of Friday evening police had not charged the man with any crimes. Detectives are investigating the incident.
“It’s too early to tell (whether he’ll face charges) at this point,” Kozlowsky said.
Click the play button on the video above to see Kozlowsky’s remarks.
Cops closed off Longview Road, a dead-end street off of Laurel Wood Drive near Long Hill Avenue, at the beginning of the standoff.
Dozens of Shelton police and members of the Milford Police Department’s Special Response Team responded to the scene, as well as police from Ansonia, Orange and the state police.
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Snipers in camouflage, as well as a heavily armed special response team, approached the man’s property from neighboring homes, though Kozlowsky said Shelton Police Sgt. Peter Zaksewicz and Officer John Napoleone convinced the man to give himself up.
“The negotiators were able to talk to him and he peacefully came and surrendered to police,” he said. “It’s just a great credit to the negotiators who were talking to him for several hours.”
While the man was still on the property and before the man was taken away for a mental health evaluation, several Valley Indy Facebook readers wondered whether the man’s Second Amendment rights were being violated.
“What’s wrong with carrying a firearm?,” Kenny Haddad asked, prematurely. “The police should specify whether the man is suspected of a crime or just exercising his 2nd amendment rights granted to him by the U.S. Constitution.”
Shelton police are investigating the incident.
“Our main point was to resolve this peacefully,” Kozlowsky said. “Now that this situation is under control, our investigation will occur.”
