Man Armed With Knife Threatens Mother, Cops In Suffern: PD

SUFFERN, NY — A man is accused of holding a large knife to his mother’s throat and threatening to kill her, himself and the cops.

The man barricaded himself in a home on Kensico Court Tuesday, leading to a multi-hour negotiation before the man finally surrendered, according to a police announcement.

Ultimately, no one was injured during the incident, which had prompted police to urge nearby residents to shelter in place or avoid the area.

Police said they received a call around 9:50 a.m. from a woman on Kensico Court, who said her 25-year-old son was breaking items in their residence. The incident happened at the Knolls, a condominium complex.

When police arrived, they saw the caller in a common parking area, attempting to flag them down. The woman told police her son had held a large knife to her throat and threatened to kill her, as well as himself, police said.

The man’s father exited the residence and told police the man was still armed with a knife and still inside the home with his brother, police said.

Police gained entry, which allowed the brother to leave unharmed.

“At this point, the subject barricaded himself in the bathroom and would not comply with (the) officer’s request for him to exit the room,” police said, in an announcement.

While barricaded in the bathroom, the man opened a bathroom window and threatened officers in the parking lot, according to police.

The man told police they would have to shoot him, and that he would "shoot it out" with police if they tried to enter the bathroom, police said.

Police attempted to talk the man into leaving the bathroom, without initial success. Police established a perimeter outside the residence, with help from both the Rockland County Sheriff's Office and the Ramapo Police Department.

Due to the threats and because the subject was believed to be armed with a large knife, police called in the Rockland County React Team, a SWAT team.

After about two-and-a-half hours, the React Team negotiators ultimately convinced the man to surrender, police said.

The man as of Tuesday afternoon was in Suffern police custody awaiting arraignment on multiple charges, including criminal mischief, menacing, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police did not release the man’s identity Tuesday.