RANDOLPH, Maine — A standoff that forced the Hamlin Elementary School to be closed for the day ended peacefully Wednesday morning, according to the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers were dispatched to a Second Street residence around 7:15 a.m. when it was reported a man had a knife to his wrist and was threatening to harm himself, according to Chief Deputy Ryan Reardon.
Reardon said the man was allegedly suicidal and had made threats to shoot police if they entered the residence.
The man had barricaded himself in a bedroom before police arrived, according to Reardon. The man’s wife and two children, ages 4 and 9, left the residence after the man barricaded himself in the bedroom.
Police eventually were able to talk the man out of the house, and no shotguns were found in the residence, although the man claimed to be in possession of one, Reardon said.
The chief deputy added the residence is less than 100 yards from the Hamlin Elementary School, and Reardon said the district decided to cancel classes for the day to ensure the safety of the children.
Neither the man nor any police were injured, Reardon said. He was taken to Alfond Center in Augusta for a mental health evaluation.
The case remains under investigation and charges are possible, Reardon said.
