A man was described by onlookers as “suffering a mental health crisis” after a 2-hour standoff with police.
Police took a man into custody Monday afternoon after a tense, 3-hour standoff outside the Kiss 108 radio studios in Medford, Massachusetts.
The man - who police have identified as 38-year-old Richard Newton - was quickly handcuffed by officers around 4:30 p.m. after emerging with his hands up from a car that had been surrounded by police vehicles. He was taken away on a stretcher.
A witness told NBC Boston the man came to the area before 1:30 p.m. and asked where the iHeart radio section of the building was. He went into the building and approached a secretary. He requested that they play the song "My Axe" by Insane Clown Posse and displayed a large ax.
The man then returned to his vehicle, by which time police had arrived. He rammed a police vehicle, and then threw the axe out of the window, but it did not hit anyone.
The witness said the man had several knives inside the car and was also seen drinking beer in the car.
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Police continued to negotiate with him by cell phone and through the car window. At one point, he got out of the vehicle and said "I guess you're just going to have to kill me." Police attempted to Taser him, but he was able to get back in the car.
No further details have been released at this point.
