SWAT Team Subdues Mentally Ill Man Wielding Axe

by Judy Silberstein

The hand axe wielded by a mentally ill Mamaroneck man subdued by the Sound Shore SWAT team. Photo courtesy of the Mamaroneck Police Department.

(November 19, 2007) A mentally-disturbed man wielding a hand-axe in his 630 Grand Street home and threatening to kill any police officer who approached him was subdued by a SWAT team and taken to Mt. Vernon Hospital on Saturday evening, November 17.

According to Lt. James Gaffney, spokesperson for the Mamaroneck Village police, the 34-year-old white male lives in a basement area in the home of his parents, who alerted police. “They were frightened by his conduct – barricading himself in his room, chopping the apartment with a hand axe,” said Lt. Gaffney.

This was the second time the SWAT team has been called to deal with this individual. On April 13, 2007 a Mamaroneck police negotiator, Sgt. Bob Holland, succeeded in getting the man to turn over a firearm that was in the house and surrender without incident to the Sound Shore SWAT team, comprised of Mamaroneck Village and Larchmont Village police officers. However, in that instance there was no threat to harm anyone, reported Lt. Gaffney.

This Saturday, the first officers on the scene found the man to be delusional. He responded to attempts at negotiation by Sgt. Holland by slashing with the hand axe through an exterior wall. Around 8:30 pm, having secured the perimeter, the SWAT team made what police called a “tactical entry” into the home, and when the man continued to resist verbal commands, they used a Taser (electric “stun gun”) to subdue him.

Police declined to provide details of the methods used to enter the home, but neighbors reported an explosion, which suggests the use of a concussion grenade, a tool available to SWAT teams. “Think of it as a big fire work,” said Larchmont Police Chief Steve Rubeo. “They are reusable canisters that shock and disorient anyone who comes in the room.”

Suicide by Cop?

Police also declined to identify the man; his case is viewed as psychiatric rather than criminal. “As serious as this situation was and as violent as this person was conducting himself, one thing that has to be understood – and was understood by the police – is this person needed to be in a hospital,” explained Lt. Gaffney. “He needs hospitalization, not jail.”

Police believe they averted a planned “suicide by cop.” They found the words “murdered by Mamaroneck cops” written throughout the home. The team located the closest hospital available to evaluate and treat the man, which was Mt. Vernon Hospital.

The outcome of the Mamaroneck case contrasts starkly with the November 12 killing by New York City police of a mentally disturbed teenager in Brooklyn, who was brandishing what appeared to be a gun and turned out to be a hair brush. On Monday, November 19, two NYC officers fatally shot a 29-year-old mentally ill man wanted for stabbing a roommate. The officers say he lunged at them with a broken wine bottle.

“If you have to make a split-second life-or-death decision, you’re not going to use non-lethal force,” said Larchmont Police Chief Steve Rubeo, commenting on differences in the two types of cases. “The other consideration is distance; the Taser only works within a maximum of 25-feet."

Lt. Gaffney also attributed the positive outcome in Mamaroneck to good training. Mamaroneck Police Chief Edward Flynn was on the scene for the tactical entry. "These officers did an outstanding job in executing their mission,” he said.

Future Protection?

Mamaroneck residents are understandably concerned. The incident occurred on a residential street and is less than half a mile from Mamaroneck Avenue School, the French American School and St. Vito’s Church. What sorts of protections are there to prevent future events of this kind?

“There are state civil commitment laws that allow psychiatrists to commit a person by reason of mental illness,” explained Tom Kucharski, an assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice who specializes in forensic psychology and was contacted for comment. He noted that New York State also has Kendra’s Law, passed in 1999, which applies to mentally ill people considered dangerous and noncompliant with treatment. A court could order a person to receive treatment – perhaps a long-acting medication injected by a psychiatrist. “Think of it as a unique way of applying the least restrictive treatment – people can be safely managed in the community – which is better than in a hospital,” explained Dr. Kucharski.

The Mamaroneck police are working with Westchester County’s crisis intervention team, reported Lt. Gaffney. “We realize this is a reoccurrence, and will be in touch with the crisis intervention team and will monitor what happens.”

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