COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Colonie Police Department responded to a domestic incident on Tattersall Lane Wednesday morning. It all happened after a woman called police claiming that her partner was committing acts of self harm, and when they arrived, he had barricaded himself inside the home. After hours of negotiating, he was taken into custody peacefully. Yet this incident, along with several other mental health calls, has raised concerns within the department. Many are wondering what happens next, after an individual in crisis is sent to receive healthcare.
“The concerns are always with the aftercare, mental health, and this is the intersection of mental health and domestic violence,” stated Chief James Gerace of the Colonie Police Department.
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Gerace says that the individual who barricaded himself this morning had set a fire behind his home, was threatening to set fire to the house itself, stated that he wanted Colonie Police to kill him, and was armed with a gun in his waistband. Yet, despite the tense circumstances, he said they were able to safely reach a resolution.
“Our officers did a fantastic job and they just maintained and followed their training, they followed their tactics,” said Gerace. “So what they did is just surround the home. Then we took it slow and methodical. We had our officers make phone contact with the individual, and we continued to negotiate for several hours. Up until a few minutes ago, when he came out of the house safely.”…