Mental Illness Episode at Blue Heron Drive

From the Portsmouth Police Department:

On Monday, March 23, 2015, at approximately 7:10 p.m., Portsmouth Police received a report from a resident in Osprey Landing regarding a male that entered her house and had a gun and was threatening her.

Only moments later, the police received a second report of a male entering another house in the same section of the complex. Officers arrived on scene and encountered a male that charged at them while shouting profanity. The subject was immediately subdued through the use of a Taser and he was subsequently handcuffed. He suffered minor scrapes as a result of the Taser use.

The subject was not armed and further investigation showed that no firearm of any kind was shown by the subject. He did make verbal threats to use a firearm, but no weapon was displayed nor located. It was clear at the scene that the subject was suffering some sort of mental episode and he was transported to the Portsmouth Regional Hospital. None of the parties inside the residences were physically harmed or injured.

The incident will be placed under case review to determine if any charges will be pending. Currently this is being treated as a medical issue and, as a result, the identification of the subject is being withheld to protect his privacy. The subject is not a local resident and his family was located and advised of his situation.

Sgt. Christopher Roth, Patrol Division, Portsmouth Police Department.