Woman Held Hostage At Knifepoint For Hours, NJ Sheriff Says

MERCER COUNTY, NJ - A Trenton man was taken into custody Sunday after an hours-long hostage situation in which he barricaded himself in a second-floor bedroom with a woman and threatened her with a knife, the Mercer County Sheriff said.

Anthony Parker, 47, surrendered to police following several hours of negotiations and was taken into custody without incident, Sheriff Jack Kemler’s office said. The woman was evaluated by medical personnel and found to be physically unharmed.

Trenton police responded to a domestic violence call early Sunday morning on the 600 block of North Clinton Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Parker had barricaded himself in a bedroom with the woman, armed with a knife and refused to let her leave, police said.

The Mercer County Sheriff's Office Tactical Response Team, Trenton police crisis negotiators, Trenton police EMTs and Capital Health Emergency Mental Health Services personnel responded to the scene.

The tactical team established emergency rescue teams, ladder rescue teams and a sniper watch, according to the sheriff's office.

After several hours of negotiations with a crisis negotiator, Parker released the woman and surrendered to authorities, Kemler said. He was turned over to Trenton police and placed under arrest.

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