SWAT Deployed Gas To End Barricade Situation In Wayne, Officials Say

WAYNE, NJ — Officials ended a 15-hour standoff in Wayne Thursday morning by releasing a chemical agent to get a knife-wielding man to come out of his home, police said.

The man and his father, who also was in the home, both face weapons charges after police found firearms and illegal high-capacity magazines inside. The younger man had access to a crossbow, as well, his father told police.

Wayne PD had gone to the Preakness Avenue residence just before 6 p.m. Wednesday to speak with a 27-year-old man, who was reportedly talking about harming himself. Officers met the man's father outside, and saw the son run back into the home.

Moments later, the son came to the doorway with "a large knife" and waved it at officers before closing the door and running away, said Detective Captain Dan Daly of Wayne Police. He then reappeared in an upstairs window and began "tapping the knife against the glass."

Wayne Police immediately called for backup, set up a perimeter, and closed a section of Preakness Avenue as the Crisis Negotiations Unit began trying to communicate with the son. The father told police that there was a crossbow in the house that his son had access to, Daly said.

Passaic County SWAT arrived with their Hostage Negotiations Unit and were accompanied by paramedics and crisis intervention personnel from Saint Joseph's Health. A long standoff ensued, as the son refused to come out of the home "despite repeated attempts at negotiations."

After 12 hours, the Bergen County Regional SWAT team came to relieve the Passaic County team. Several hours after that, Daly said, the son stopped communicating with negotiators and the SWAT team deployed gas into the residence.

The 27-year-old then surrendered, and police took him into custody before he was taken to a medical facility evaluation.

Despite the older man telling police there were no guns in the house, police said they found several firearms and high-capacity magazines. The father, who is 62, was arrested and released.

The son also faces charges of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and being a certain person not to possess weapons. Daly said he would be served a warrant after he is released from evaluation at the hospital.