Dispatcher Gets 'Distraught' Armed Juvenile To Surrender Loaded Gun: Orange Police

ORANGE, CT — Orange Police Department Emergency Dispatcher Scott Henderson is being credited with helping to defuse a serious incident Monday morning. Police said at 8:20 a.m. they received a 911 call from a distraught juvenile male who was in possession of a loaded handgun.

The juvenile was outside of his residence, which was located near Turkey Hill Elementary School, police said. As a precaution, police officers placed the school in lock-down while the situation was ongoing, police said.

Henderson kept the juvenile on the phone and did an "outstanding job de-escalating the distraught caller," and getting the male to put down the weapon and surrender to nearby responding officers without further incident, police said. The juvenile was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The lock-down at the elementary school was lifted after twenty minutes, which was the approximate duration of the incident, police said. At no time were students/staff at the school in danger, police said. This investigation remains ongoing. No further details are being released at this time, police said.