BEACON – A 64-year-old man police said was emotionally disturbed kept police, firefighters, and medics at bay for more than two hours early Sunday morning as he threatened suicide.
Emergency 911 dispatch received the call just before 1 a.m. from the man who reported that he had two sticks of dynamite and a handgun with him in the vicinity of Herbert and Main Streets.
Beacon Police responded while the 911 dispatcher maintained contact with the individual.
When police arrived, they requested assistance from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and State Police. The man, whose name was not made public, became agitated, according to the dispatcher, and requested that the police back away from his vehicle. At one point, the caller indicated that he had two sticks of dynamite and would blow up the entire city block if his finger came off the detonator switch.
A sheriff’s negotiator responded to the 911 center to interact with the man. During the encounter, the man asked for a helicopter to land near his vehicle and fly him to Stewart Airport. He also indicated that he was considering driving to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge to jump into the river.
The negotiators were able to keep the man parked in Beacon, where he eventually surrendered to police with the understanding that he would be transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie by Mobile Life medics for evaluation.
According to the Beacon Police, the man’s car was searched. No explosive devices or weapons were discovered. Police noted that there was a can of gasoline in the vehicle.
The incident came to a peaceful end at approximately 3:20 a.m.
