A police SWAT team and a negotiator were called to the scene after a man threatened to kill himself and shoot police during a four-hour incident in a Franklin neighborhood this weekend.
In the end, the man surrendered peacefully and no one was hurt during the incident, which disrupted the Heritage subdivision on the city’s east side. Some residents willingly left their home, at the suggestion of police, during the incident.
A troubled man who lives on Hampton Drive had called the VA Hospital and threatened to hurt himself and shoot any police officers who came to his home, Franklin Police Deputy Chief Chris Tennell said. The incident started just before 8 a.m. Saturday.
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The man has a history of problems and was upset about some recent events in his life. A woman who was in the home with him initially chose to stay in the home, but then eventually came outside after about 90 minutes, Tennell said. The man said repeatedly that he would shoot the police, Tennell said.
The SWAT team and a mobile command center came to the area due to the man’s threats and his past, and a negotiator tried to convince him to leave the home. The response included the county’s MRAP, a large armored vehicle, because it provides protection for the SWAT team.
After four hours, he agreed to come out of the home, Tennell said.
The man had said that he had a bulletproof vest and multiple guns, but all the guns were found secured in a safe, Tennell said. The man agreed to give Tennell the code so that police could take the weapons out of the home.
The man was taken to an area hospital for treatment, Tennell said.
Police notified the neighborhood and asked that some residents leave their home, or stay away from windows, and residents were notified again when the incident had come to an end.
“The cooperation and patience of the residents in the Heritage subdivision is appreciated,” Tennell said. “It helped us bring the incident to a peaceful end.”
