Axe-Wielding Man Disarmed by Hartford Police After 2-Hour Standoff

HARTFORD, CT — A man wielding an axe kept police at bay for more than two hours at a Hartford apartment complex Tuesday morning before finally being disarmed.

At 7:57 a.m., police responded to a 911 call from a resident of the Carriage Place Apartments at 30 Forest Street, complaining of an unknown person banging on their apartment door. Responding officers observed the door to apartment C5 was splintered with marks consistent of an axe or sharp object being pounded into it. A resident told officers that they heard the banging and saw the tenant from a specific apartment yelling and screaming in the hallway, Deputy Chief Brian Foley said.

Officers walked over to the apartment, when suddenly, an emotionally disturbed person exited the apartment wielding an axe, approximately 3 to 4 feet in length. The man raised the pick axe to shoulder length, and a nearby officer, fearing for his safety and the safety of the residents, drew his firearm and attempted to get the man to drop the axe. The man retreated back into his apartment and locked the door, Foley said.

Backup officers were summoned, interior and exterior perimeters were established, and a police officer trained in hostage negotiation and crisis intervention began talking to the man. It was determined that he was the only person in the apartment, but had mentioned several times he had a gun and wanted to shoot the place up, Foley said.

The building was evacuated, and nearby Hartford Public High School was placed on precautionary lockdown until the situation could be resolved as a SWAT team was called to the scene, Foley said.

The negotiating patrol officer attempted unsuccessfully to calm the man as the SWAT team arrived and set up a perimeter. Eventually the man went silent and stopped responding to negotiators, Foley said.

In fear that the man actually had a firearm and would go through with his threat or harm himself or others, the SWAT team was directed to make entry and secure the man. At 10:06 a.m., SWAT personnel breached the door and the man was secured without incident. He was transported by EMS personnel for medical evaluation, Foley said.

No injuries were reported. The high school was taken off lockdown and residents were allowed back in the building, according to Foley.

"This potentially deadly situation was skillfully handled without the use of violence," Foley said. "The (55-year-old Jamaican male from Hartford) has an extensive history of similar incidents with HPD dating back well over a decade. We are working with hospital staff and crisis workers to ensure he gets the treatment and services necessary."

Photo credit: Hartford Police Department