Armed Man Arrested At UN Headquarters After 3-Hour Standoff

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A man armed with a shotgun was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after a three-hour standoff outside the United Nations Headquarters Thursday morning, police said.

The situation began around 10:40 a.m., when someone inside the headquarters called 911 to report a man with a gun outside, NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker told reporters in a news conference hours later.

Officers encountered the person, identified as a white man in his sixties wearing a red jacket, standing on the sidewalk on First Avenue near East 42nd Street. Holding a shotgun under his chin, the man said he had "some papers that he wanted to deliver to the U.N.," NYPD Chief of Operations Harry Wedin said.

Police later determined that the man had traveled from Florida and was staying at the Millennium Hotel on West 44th Street, Tucker said. He has not been identified by authorities, but police said his motives appear to stem from mental health issues and are not terror-related.

#UPDATE Outstanding job by #NYPD ESU, after over 3 hours of conversation they were able to safely negotiate the individuals surrender. He is currently being evaluated at an area hospital. pic.twitter.com/GHNIdjyNie
— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) December 2, 2021

While United Nations staff and delegates were asked to "shelter in place," officers from the NYPD's emergency service unit began negotiating with the man. Photos showed officers aiming guns at him from several yards away as he held the gun to his head.

After nearly three hours of negotiating, the man surrendered around 1:40 p.m. after authorities agreed to deliver his documents to the U.N., Wedin said. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and charges against him are pending, Tucker said.

For hours Thursday afternoon, authorities told the public to avoid First Avenue between East 42nd and 48th streets, adding that delays would continue even after the man's arrest.

In regard to reports of a man with a firearm at 42nd Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan—the individual is now in custody and there is NO THREAT to the public.

Continue to avoid the area and expect delays. More information to follow when available. pic.twitter.com/LuliJdzIwJ
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 2, 2021