UPDATED: 8:41 p.m., Tuesday:
Middletown Township Chief of Police Joseph Bartorilla stated the man was taken into custody around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Advertisements
The man will be transported to a mental health facility for treatment, Bartorilla said.
No injuries were reported.
UPDATED: 7:35 p.m., Tuesday:
Officers surrounded a home in Middletown Township’s Levittown section for several hours Tuesday afternoon and evening after a man experiencing a mental health crisis was inside.
Advertisements
A shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area was lifted in the evening.
Middletown Township Chief of Police Joseph Bartorilla said the department responded to a residence on Harbor Road in the Highland Park section around 2:15 p.m. for a report of a 34-year-old man in a mental health crisis.
Advertisements
Officers made verbal contact with the man through a closed bedroom door and attempted to de-escalate the situation, police said.
After several minutes, the man indicated he might be armed with a weapon, which led to officers to withdraw and establish a perimeter, police said.
All other residents had exited the home and were safe, police said.
Advertisements
A shelter-in-place order was issued as a precaution for the surrounding area while police negotiators attempted to contact the man by phone, text message, and loudspeaker for over three hours, but received no response, police said.
Authorities stated the man did not make any specific threats of harm to himself or others and is not wanted on any criminal charges.
Advertisements
Throughout the afternoon, police used loud speakers to call for the man.
“After a thorough assessment of the situation the decision was made to scale back our immediate presence in order to avoid escalating the situation unnecessarily,” Bartorilla said.
Advertisements
Marked police units will remain on Harbor Road to maintain a visible presence and ensure neighborhood safety into Tuesday evening, police said.
The chief said the goal is to make contact with the man in a less-intense, controlled way and provide any necessary mental health assistance when he is ready to accept it.
Advertisements
Police thanked neighbors for providing water and bathrooms to officers during the operation.
Additionally, police clarified that a township-wide shelter-in-place alert sent in error for an incident in Highland Park was a mistake, and a new message was sent to those only in the affected area.
Original Story:
A shelter-in-place order was issued Tuesday afternoon for residents in the Levittown section of Middletown Township due to an ongoing police incident.
Advertisements
The Bucks County 9-1-1 center issued the alert that advised residents to “lock all doors and move to a central and secure location away from windows.”
Sources said the message was related to a possibly armed man inside a home in the unit block of Harbor Road.
Advertisements
Police confirmed the shelter-in-place order was related to the Harbor Road incident, but they had few additional details to release.
An ambulance was dispatched to the scene for what was reported as a psychiatric emergency, according to dispatchers.
Multiple police officers with long guns and ambulances were at the scene as of 3 p.m.
Advertisements
Traffic was being diverted away from the scene in Highland Park.
Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to note today is Tuesday, not Monday.
Advertisement
Meet Your Canna Coach: Personalized Guidance, Free for You!
The Growing Use of Cannabis in Women’s Health
Shop Now: cannaremediesnj.com/shop
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
