Police used a Taser and bean bag rifle to take a man into custody after he threatened to kill his mother, then barricaded himself in his Hamden home and begged officers to shoot him on Wednesday, authorities said.
A SWAT team surrounded the house on Bradley Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, and police blocked off part of the street.
According to police, Tyron Clemons, 38, had threatened to kill his mother, who called 911.
"The initial report was that Tyron Clemons' mother arrived home with her husband and her son threatened to kill her with a knife," said Hamden police spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith.
Police tried to arrest Clemons and even used a Taser, but he retreated inside, prompting a standoff that went on for five hours. Smith said he begged officers to take his life.
"Clemons, throughout the negotiation, pleaded with officers to shoot him," Smith said.
The incident erupted with Clemons emerging onto the porch around 8:30 p.m., with a knife in hand, and refusing to put it down, according to police.
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"We had given him several orders to drop the knife. He refused," Smith said. "He then left the porch with the knife in hand and approached officers."
Police shot Clemons with a bean bag rifle and again with a Taser. They loaded him onto a stretcher and brought him to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he'll undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
"The preliminary investigation revealed it might have been a medication problem," Smith explained.
He said police used every effort to avoid using lethal force, and Clemons was not hurt during the take-down. Criminal charges are pending.
Police are still investigating.
