FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Officials say that a man is now undergoing a court-ordered mental health evaluation after barricading himself in an East State Boulevard apartment on Thursday afternoon.
Officers with the Fort Wayne Police Department were called to the 3400 block of East State to transport the man to the hospital for an evaluation around 4:30 p.m. That’s when he reportedly locked himself inside and was armed with a knife.
The Crisis Response Team and Emergency Services Team (EST) were called to the scene. After he still refused to come out, officers deployed a chemical agent into the apartment and officers were able to detain him.
Around 10:15 p.m., officers made entry into the apartment and took the man into custody. He was then taken to the hospital for the mental health evaluation ordered by an Allen County judge.
FWPD officials released the following:
On November 17, 2022, the Fort Wayne Police Department was asked to assist with transporting an adult male from a residence in the 3400 block of E. State Blvd. to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation. An Allen County judge signed the order commanding officers to make this transport.
Officers arrived and the adult male barricaded himself in his residence and refused to exit, and it was believed he was armed with a knife. Out of an abundance of caution, the services of the Crisis Response Team and Emergency Services Team were requested to assist with safely removing the male from his residence. By the nature of their jobs, these teams are equipped with extra tools that allow for communication, breaching, etc. that regular patrol units do not have access to.
The adult male still refused to exit the residence, so surrounding residences were evacuated as negotiators tried negotiating with the subject. EST officers eventually deployed a chemical agent in an attempt to motivate the subject to exit, but the male still refused. Around 10:15pm, EST officers made entry into the apartment and took the male into custody. He is
currently being transported to the hospital for the court-ordered mental health evaluation.
