Suicide Threat Leaves Balcom Street Closed for Hours

MANSFIELD, MA — A threat of suicide shut down a street in Mansfield late Saturday, police said.

At about 10:45 p.m., police received a 911 call from a woman who said her father had thrown a letter at her detailing his intent to commit suicide. The caller, who left the house with her mother, added that her father was in the basement of their Balcom Street home with a gun.

Officers at the scene were able to confirm that the man was in the house but were unable to contact him, according to the Mansfield Police Department. A regional response team and negotiators were called in to help make contact with the man. After hours of negotiations and enlarging the police perimeter, contact was lost. Police say they used a "methodical and tactical approach" to get closer to the home.

Police say the man took multiple pills. He was found unconscious in his home by the response team.

The man was transported to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation, with the incident ending at 3:40 a.m.

The incident was the second major suicide-related case in Mansfield this month. On July 10,Eddy Street was closed in response to a potential suicide threat.