LYNN — Lynn Police ended a 40-hour standoff Friday afternoon with a mentally ill woman who had barricaded herself inside a Forest Hill Avenue apartment with a child, while armed with a butcher knife.
At one point, the woman attempted to stab officers who had entered the residence through a window in order to try to get the child out safely and de-escalate the situation, Police Lt. Michael Kmiec said.
Police responded to the residence shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday after a family member called with concerns about the well-being of a child at the home, Kmiec said.
Initial responding officers made contact with the child through an open window, who told police that she needed help. The front door of the apartment was barricaded upon their arrival, Kmiec said.
“Officers then observed a distraught female in the apartment who took the child into a bedroom,” said Kmiec. “Based on the actions of the female and information that was provided by family, the officers believed the child was in immediate danger.”
An officer attempted to make contact with the woman after climbing through an open window. At one point, the woman, who had locked herself inside the bedroom with the child, opened the door and tried to stab officers while making “alarming statements,” Kmiec said.
Police were eventually able to get the child unharmed out of the home through an open window, but were not able to get to the woman, who continued to barricade herself inside the bedroom with a butcher knife, Kmiec said.
After nearly two days of police negotiation, the woman finally surrendered herself to officers at approximately 12 p.m. Friday and was immediately taken to the hospital, Kmiec said.
To de-escalate the situation without injuries, Lynn Police worked with several agencies, including the Massachusetts State Police, Lynn Fire Department, the state Department of Mental Health, the Lynn Police Department’s Behavioral Health Unit and clinicians from Eliot Services, Kmiec said.
