By Beth David, Editor
Fairhaven Police responded to reports of an armed male on the Phoenix Bike Trail on Friday, 4/21/23, around 4 p.m. It turned out the man had a BB gun pistol and was in emotional distress.
Fairhaven Police spokesperson Lt. Kevin Kobza said the man called 911 and told police he would point his gun at them so they would shoot him.
An officer kept the man on the phone and convinced him to put the gun down and go to an open field. Fairhaven police used a drone to locate the man in the woods along the bike path near Shaw Road.
Lt. Kobza said the man followed the drone out of the woods to meet police. He told them it was only a BB gun and took them back into the woods where it was recovered.
“We didn’t rush in, we waited him out,” said Lt. Kobza. “We had someone to reason with him and get him to comply. He cooperated.”
He said the man is 34 years old and from another state. His ties to the area are unclear.
Lt. Kobza said no charges are being filed, so he did not want to identify the man, who was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital.
“It was a good outcome,” said Lt. Kobza.
Mattapoisett Police assisted during the incident. The Phoenix Bike Trail connects to the Mattapoisett Rail Trail, and Shaw Road is very close to the Mattapoisett town line.
•••
Click her to download the 4/27/23 issue: 04-27-23 WI5K_REV
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal
