By Jackson Cote
Source masslive.com
Police say what began with a man barricading himself in a Massachusetts apartment with his young daughter and escalated to the point that he was pouring a flammable liquid inside the home ended Saturday with authorities apprehending him and rescuing her.
Negotiations began Friday afternoon after the man allegedly barricaded himself and the girl in his apartment in Lynn. It was not until the next morning that the situation was resolved when a Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations Team (STOP) forced their way into the home, rescued the girl and captured the man.
All the while, the man, whose name has yet to be released to the public, is accused of having a machete, crossbow and fireworks in his possession, according to State Police.
“It was a well-executed operation from start to finish by Lynn Police and MSP. We are relieved and grateful that STOP Troopers were able to rescue the little girl before she was burned or otherwise physically injured. She will get the support she needs, and we pray for a safe, healthy and happier future for her,” Dave Procopio, a State Police spokesperson, said in a statement.
The man is accused of barricading himself in the apartment at 42 Hanover St. on Friday after Lynn police and a Department of Children and Families (DCF) worker went to the home to conduct a well-being check on the girl, according to the statement.
When police and the DCF worker arrived, authorities say, the man fled to the basement. Officers allegedly saw him holding a cylindrical object with a six-inch wick coming from one end. They also noticed a machete and crossbow in the basement, according to Procopio.
The STOP Team, State Police Crisis Negotiation Unit and Bomb Squad responded to the scene to assist Lynn police. A perimeter was then set up around the apartment, and negotiators started their long effort to persuade the man to release the child and surrender, according to law enforcement.
The State Police Bomb Squad had a robot at the scene that they could deploy into the home to provide images if needed, authorities noted.
Despite efforts to negotiate with the man that continued until around midnight, police say, he refused to communicate further.
The STOP Team determined around 11 a.m. Saturday that the man was allegedly trying to strengthen the barricades he had set up, had poured the flammable liquid inside the apartment and on a mattress and had begun setting off fireworks, State Police detailed.
That is when State Police made an immediate forced entry, breaching multiple doors to get inside, and rescued the girl, according to law enforcement.
“Team members utilized less-than-lethal force to subdue the combative and assaultive suspect,” Procopio noted.
“The incident on Hanover St has been resolved safely after almost 24 hrs,” the Lynn Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. “The MSP STOP Team and negotiators are true professionals & we are grateful for the positive outcome.”
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