EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief Michael Jenkins reports that the East Bridgewater Police Department successfully de-escalated an incident in which a man was wielding a machete.
On Tuesday, July 29, at approximately 8:10 p.m., East Bridgewater Police responded to West Union Street after receiving a 911 call reporting a man was brandishing a machete and yelling in the street while making threats.
Sgt. Thomas Flint and Officers Robert Lang and Patrick O’Brien arrived to find a man in crisis who was yelling at passing vehicles while holding a machete and another tool.
Officers surrounded the man, maintained a perimeter, and used repeated verbal commands, including the cruiser’s public address system, to de-escalate the situation until the man dropped the weapons and surrendered without incident.
The 51-year-old man was taken to a local hospital by the East Bridgewater Fire Department for evaluation and to be connected with appropriate services.
“I want to recognize our officers who showed amazing restraint and professionalism during an incredibly tense call,” Chief Jenkins said. “They relied on their de-escalation training, and the incident ended in the best possible outcome — peacefully, with no one injured and the man receiving the help he needed.”
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