Greenfield SWAT Team Active Over Holiday Weekend

Members of the had a relatively silent night, but not all was calm Christmas Day or Monday as the SWAT team responded to a pair of incidents within 24 hours of each other.

The first incident occured at approximately 1 p.m. Christmas Day when relatives of a 45-year-old man contacted the Greenfield Fire Department indicating the man had had sent text messages to members of his family saying “goodbye,” and that if the police came to his apartment he would greet them with a knife, according to Police Chief Brad Wentlandt.

Officers responded to the 7200 block of Forest Home Avenue and set up a perimeter. Initial contact was made with the man who became belligerent and hung up. SWAT officers were then called in, and they set up a perimeter. Soon thereafter, hostage negotiators were called in and attempted to contact the man without success.

Eventually, SWAT officers entered the apartment and were able to take the man into custody and transported him to a mental health facility.

The SWAT team was back at it at approximately 10:30 a.m. Monday when a woman called stating her estranged husband contacted her and said he had a gun and was going to shoot himself.

Officers responded to the 4900 block of Katelyn Circle near 55th Street and Edgerton Avenue, and SWAT officers and hostage negotiators were called in.

As the teams were setting up, the hostage negotiators were able to make contact with the man and convinced him to surrender without incident. He was also taken to a mental health facility, according to Wentlandt.