Suicidal Man With Knife Taken Into Custody Outside Emerson Hospital
CONCORD (CBS) – Ambulances were diverted away from Emerson Hospital while police subdued a suicidal man with a knife outside the Concord hospital.
Concord, a NEMLEC SWAT team and Massachusetts State Police responded to the helicopter pad outside Emerson Hospital after receiving a call for a distraught man at about 8:30 a.m. on Friday.
Police said family members of a 59-year-old Pepperell man had become distraught and was threatening to harm himself and others. As police approached, he pulled out a knife.
After about 90 minutes of negotiating with the man, police said the man surrendered peacefully.
"This is an example of quick work by police, using specialized units and advanced training to save life today," Concord Police Chief Joseph 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 report that no one was hurt during an incident that could have been much worse."
No patients or hospital staff was injured during standoff.
All services inside the hospital operated as normal during the incident, officials said.
The Pepperell man was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at Emerson Hospital on Friday afternoon. No charges have been brought against him.
