Police in Newark safely removed an emotionally distressed man who refused to come out of a home in Newark's North Ward overnight.
According to preliminary reports, at approximately 11 p.m., police responded to a building in the 100-block of Park Avenue on a call of aid for a man in distress, who was throwing small objects from the roof.
2nd Precinct officers located the man in in the building’s stairwell and attempted to calm him down before observing that he was in possession of a handgun.
Officers moved the man’s family to safety and contacted the Newark Police Department’s SWAT Team.
The man began pulling the trigger on the gun, although it didn’t fire, and SWAT Team members carefully negotiated with him to release the weapon.
The gun, which was later determined to be a replica, was recovered and the man was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
Newark Police Emergency Services Unit arrived at the scene to assist in the situation while Newark Police officer safely closed off traffic to a portion of Park Avenue.
The man was observed calmly walking with Emergency Medical Technicians into an EMS Unit for his transport to an area hospital.
The incident remains under investigation.