Domestic Violence Report In Carmel Leads To Standoff

CARMEL, NY — A domestic violence incident led to a long standoff between a Carmel man and police officers. Somehow it also led to a storm of false social media rumors that police were targeting someone in order to seize his weapons.

Putnam Sheriff's Office officials reported that someone spread a false allegation that Alexander Booth was being targeted because of New York's Red Flag Law, and that they were then inundated with calls and social media messages from people. The "protest" that was instigated by the rumors actually shut down the sheriff's office's communications systems.

Booth, 28, faces charges of second-degree burglary a Class C felony; criminal trespass, a Class A misdemeanor; second-degree criminal contempt, a Class A misdemeanor; second-degree aggravated harassment, a Class A misdemeanor; and petty larceny, a Class A misdemeanor.

He was arraigned in Carmel Town Justice Court.

It started Saturday afternoon when a Carmel police officer was on Putnam Drive investigating a reported domestic violence incident. He heard an apparent gunshot and called for backup. The officers who arrived saw Booth, apparently agitated, barricade himself in his garage apartment.

Police as a precaution evacuated neighboring homes.

The Town of Carmel Police Department and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office responded. They brought in the Westchester County Department of Public Safety’s Special Response and Negotiation Teams.

After six hours, they were able to persuade Booth to surrender to police.

"At the conclusion of this incident, no weapons or ammunition feeding devises were found or seized, despite numerous false social media posts to the contrary," Cazzari said.

The Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook:

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has been inundated with calls and social media messages from citizens expressing concern about a police response in the Town of Carmel. The incident was widely reported to be a law enforcement effort to seize firearms under “Red Flag” laws. This information is incorrect. The law enforcement response and subsequent arrest was related to a domestic violence investigation. The citizen involved is safe and in police custody.
The incredibly high volume of phone calls, emails and social media messages has overwhelmed our systems and shutdown our ability to communicate with our community. While we respect the right of all citizens to inquire about law enforcement activity, we urge you to respect the needs of our community and restore our ability to serve them. Thank you.

SEE: Red Flag Gun Protection Law | The State of New York - NY.gov