Reading Police De-Escalate Situation With Man With Knife

READING, MA — Police officers successfully de-escalated a situation involving a person with a knife threatening to harm themselves Sunday, according to a police statement.

Police were dispatched to a South Street home on a report of a person experiencing a behavioral health crisis at about 1:25 p.m.

Police arrived at the home and heard arguing upstairs. Police found the person, who had a knife.

The person then held the knife to their throat and repeatedly asked officers to shoot them.

Officers "used their professional training to de-escalate the situation, negotiating with the individual, and were able to safely take the knife away from them within a minute of the initial interaction," according to police.

The person became combative with officers as they were leaving the home. However, officers were able to remove the person from the home without further incident.

No one was injured.

The Reading Fire Department took the person to an area hospital, and the person is being connected with the appropriate resources and mental health agencies.

"I would like to commend Officers Joshua Graciale and Brian Catanzano for acting with great professionalism and compassion in a situation that could have had a tragic outcome," Police Chief David Clark. said in a statement. "In a high-pressure situation, these officers were able to quickly turn to their training and ensure that nobody was seriously injured. I am proud to have officers such as them serving the Reading community."