Pittsfield Resident Calls Police To Protect His Neighbors From Him

Pittsfield Police Department
Media Release/Facebook

Subject: Oak Hill Apartment incident

Authored By: Lieutenant Roccabruna

Authorized By: Chief Michael Wynn
On June 12, at approximately 3:02 am, a 56-year-old Pittsfield resident of the Oak Hill Apartments called Pittsfield Police Dispatch and stated that police officers needed to protect his neighbors from him. He continued to say that he didn’t have long to live, he had a weapon and was going to use it.

Officers arrived to find the male resident sitting on a park bench just off the parking lot. He showed a handgun and told officers not to come any closer or he would shoot. Officers took cover behind cars and attempted to talk the male into putting the gun down. He was offered a ride to Berkshire Medical Center to speak with crisis counselors.

Officers made several attempts to talk the male into putting the gun down but those attempts were answered with more threats from the male that he was going to shoot the officers. With no other way to safely end the situation, the decision was made to use less-lethal bean bag rounds fired from a shotgun to persuade the male to put down the gun.

The resident was hit in both arms and the side of his torso with four bean bag rounds. He dropped the gun and was placed in handcuffs. The gun turned out to be a BB gun. He was transported to BMC where he was treated for superficial wounds and spoke with crisis counselors. After his release from BMC, he was transported to the Pittsfield Police Station where he was booked under the charge of disorderly conduct.