Man Threatens To Shoot People On Hudson Valley Main Street: Police

BEACON, NY — Police arrested a man in Beacon who was accused of threatening to shoot people Sunday.

The City of Beacon Police Department said officers responded Sunday to a call concerning a man wearing gray sweatpants and a hoodie and sunglasses who was saying he was going to shoot people on Main Street.

Body camera footage that was reviewed showed that an officer found the man, deployed his patrol rifle, as is appropriate for a call where a firearm may be involved, police said, and attempted to get him to put his hands on the wall.

Authorities said he refused to comply multiple times until, eventually, he placed his hands on the wall.

As other officers arrived and tried to handcuff the man, body cam footage showed that the man pulled his arm away from them and in front of his body.

Officers who were still unsure whether the man was armed or not forced him to the ground.

According to police, the officers employed a technique called “body segmenting” to control the man.

The technique was defined by the police department as a way to control a combative suspect’s movement while simultaneously avoiding putting pressure on any areas that would impact the person’s ability to breathe.

“Body segmenting,” which is taught in compliance with New York State’s Municipal Police Training Council standards, has officers using pressure on the hips, head and legs, depending on the number of officers available.

The man was then placed into handcuffs without further incident and was taken to police headquarters in Beacon where he was offered and refused medical treatment.

Police said that witnesses to the original incident confirmed that the man had threatened to shoot people on Main Street, but the investigation into his actions and his motivation is still ongoing. Charges are still pending at this time.

A search of the area did not reveal any firearms, police said.

Law enforcement said officials understand there is footage of the use of force from witnesses who have been contacted.

As is standard procedure, Beacon police said, a thorough and complete investigation into the use of force is being conducted.

Further information will be released when it is available, authorities said.