Franklin

Peaceful Ending After Franklin Police Block Roads for Man Barricaded Inside Home

Franklin police said the man voluntarily and peacefully left the Pleasant Street home; no force was used

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People in Franklin, Massachusetts, were asked to avoid a certain area of the town Saturday after a man barricaded himself inside a Pleasant Street home around 11 a.m.

Franklin police said a 911 call came in just after 10:50 a.m. for a report of a man making suicidal statements at a residence on Pleasant Street. Officers learned the man made those statements to his family and threatened to harm himself with a firearm. There were no threats made to the man's family, police said.

According to police, the man did have access to guns.

The man's family was evacuated from the home, and officers set up a perimeter outside, police said. Multiple attempts were made to contact the man.

The Franklin Police Department, the Franklin Fire Department, and assets from the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council (MetroLec), including the crisis negotiation team and a SWAT team, were all on scene to assist.

Shortly before 3:00 p.m., MetroLec units were able to get the man to leave his residence voluntarily and peacefully. No force was used, police said.

The man was evaluated by the Franklin Fire Department and was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.

The incident resulted in a number of road closures. Pleasant Street was shut down, in additional to several nearby streets, including Moore Avenue, Hillside Road, and Dean Avenue, police said. The public was asked to continue avoiding the area until Pleasant Street reopened.

Franklin police said this is an isolated and contained incident; there is no threat to the public at this time.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: Here is information on suicide prevention from the National Institute of Mental Health. If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741.

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