Nearly six hours after Harvard police officers went to an Ann Lee Road home Friday afternoon, Jan. 30, to check on a man’s welfare, the man surrendered to officers and was taken into protective custody. The peaceful ending to the situation came after Harvard police had called in the state police Special Tactical Operations Team, K-9 units, and a crisis negotiation team.
According to a statement released by Harvard police, a physician called police at noon Friday to express concern about the well-being of a patient at the Ann Lee Road home. Officers went to the home but were unable to make contact with the doctor’s patient. Police learned that two people were in the house and became concerned for their safety after observing broken furniture inside. The state police teams were activated shortly after 2 p.m. as a precaution and they assembled at the police station at 4 p.m. for a briefing. The police units then went to the Ann Lee Road home, where negotiators were able to contact the residents by telephone and confirm that the man and his wife were in the house.
Negotiators spoke with the man for about an hour, after which he surrendered to police without incident. Police placed him under protective custody at 6:15 p.m., and an ambulance took him to Emerson Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. None of the emergency responders had to enter the home, said Police Chief Ed Denmark.
Earlier in the week, police had responded to another call from the doctor about the same patient. Officers and the Harvard ambulance went to the Ann Lee Road home on Wednesday, Jan. 28, around 11 a.m., but they decided that action was not necessary at that time.
