Armed Man Surrenders Peacefully After Barricading Himself in Vernon Building

VERNON, CT — An armed man barricaded himself in a building on the 200 block of Route 83 Tuesday evening for more than four-and-a-half hours before peacefully surrendering to authorities, police said.

Police said the incident took place just after 5 p.m. in the living space above the Bardin Insurance Agency building at 253 Talcottville Road, the local address for Route 83.

A man armed with what police called a "legitimate handgun" refused to come out of the building, according to Vernon police spokesman Lt. William Meier. A woman who police said seemed be be with him "willingly" was also in the apartment. Police did not consider it a hostage situation, Meier said.

Police activated what they call "the Blue Plan," which triggered a massive regional response. A law enforcement SWAT negotiating team was also called to the scene and Route 83 was closed off in the immediate area, police said.

The man surrendered peacefully just after 9:30 p.m., Meier said. He followed the woman out of the building and police were able to take him into custody and recover the gun, Meier said.

Several nearby businesses were evacuated and police were urging the public to avoid the area. Children at a neighboring daycare facility were safely moved to a nearby formal wear shop for parental pickup, Meier said.

Police said the man was "contained to building" the entire time. No one was injured, Meier said. The man, who police did not officially identify on Tuesday, was taken to an area hospital for evaluation, Meier said.

Traffic was bumper-to-bumper in the area for hours.

Photo Credit: Robin Apinis; Chris Dehnel