A shelter-in-place order was issued for part of an eastern Massachusetts town on Sunday afternoon after authorities said a man took a chainsaw to the local police station before fleeing and barricading himself in his home with his two children.
Chief Bill Quigley said that the unidentified suspect had arrived at the Cohasset Police Station around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, and unsuccessfully attempted to cut through a door with a chainsaw. He said that the desk clerk inside and on duty at the time was unharmed but shaken up, according to WCVB.
The man then retreated to a home on Cushing Road, roughly half a mile away from the police station. Quigley said that the suspect’s two children—a girl and boy both younger than 5 years old—were inside with him.
A state police bomb squad was on the scene with “robotic platforms,” but a spokesperson told reporters that the situation remained under the purview of the local authorities.
Officers were still attempting to peacefully negotiate with the man hours later, Boston 25 News reported.
A police spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment by The Daily Beast.
This is a developing story and will be updated.