SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — New body cam video released on Friday shows a frightening situation where a suspect threw an axe at a cruiser.
State Police say on November 11, a new trooper from the 90th Recruit Training Troop and a veteran of the force were entering information about a motor vehicle stop in a residential area when a man in his late 30s approached the passenger side of the vehicle.
The man was carrying a hatchet, several knives, and a machete. He reportedly asked the two troopers why they wouldn’t get out of the car and arrest him.
The troopers attempted to de-escalate the situation by telling the man he was free to leave, but he only stood by the cruiser and shook his head.
Due to the man’s abnormal behavior and the threat of weapons, the troopers reversed the cruiser to create some distance.
As they were doing this, the man could be seen on body camera video striking the cruiser several times on the hood, right fender, and right headlight. The man then wound up and threw the hatchet at the passenger side of the windshield.
The troopers called for backup as the man followed the cruiser down the street and retrieved the hatchet, according to authorities. Law enforcement entities then surrounded the man, urging him to surrender peacefully.
With the assistance of Springfield Police, the man eventually complied with verbal commands and dropped his weapons, surrendering himself.
According to State Police, the man continued acting erratically and yelled that he wanted to kill corrections officers and first responders.
Police did not say what charges the man is facing, if any.
“Despite the grave danger posed by an armed, volatile individual, these Troopers used their training and composure to achieve a safe resolution for the suspect, bystanders, and first responders,” Colonel Geoffrey Noble said. “This event is one example of the excellent police services our members deliver to the people of Massachusetts. I thank these troopers for their example of de-escalation, which remains a core value of our approach to these situations.”
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