Possible Hostage Situation Averted on Broadway

Concord Police as well as members of the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office appear to have possibly averted a potential hostage situation on Broadway around lunchtime on Aug. 26, 2015.

According to scanner chatter, dispatch received a call from a hysterical man reporting that he was being held hostage and was fleeing a home on Broadway just north of Rockingham Street.

Numerous officers including two on bike patrol and sheriff’s deputies converged on a home across the street from Broadway’s intersection with Wood Avenue. The officers set up a wide perimeter around the home and on nearby streets. One man was taken into custody and held in the middle of Wood Avenue for about 30 minutes.

Another man reportedly fled from the home and was tracked down on Loudon Road where he was arrested on driving violation.

Both men have previous run-ins with the law, according to Concord NH Patch arrest reports. The man calling police claiming to have been held hostage has a previous heroin arrest.

Officers stayed at the scene until about 1:45 p.m. when the all clear was sounded and the perimeter cleared. Police at the scene reported that everyone in the home was OK but nothing more.

Lt. Timothy O’Malley, the commander of the criminal investigations unit, said that the call appears to be unfounded and more information will be forthcoming.

Concord NH Patch will update this post as more information becomes available.