Gloucester County Times
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, N.J. —The actions of Gloucester County’s Special Weapons and Tactics team prevented serious harm to a borough man who threatened to kill himself Wednesday night.
The SWAT team fired a chemical compound into the home of Michael A. Wilson in the 200 block of Lakehurst Avenue just before 11 p.m. About three hours earlier, officers from Westville and West Deptford went to the 55-year-oldÕs residence to investigate an alleged violation of a temporary restraining order that was requested by a female acquaintance in West Deptford dating back to Valentine’s Day.
When officers went to the home in the borough, authorities said Wilson used piled-up furniture to barricade himself inside a room. He held a knife to his throat, at which time SWAT was called in.
Those officers established a perimeter around the home and blocked off traffic from entering the area while negotiators were in contact with Wilson by phone for more than three hours.
All the while he continued to hold the knife to his throat, insisting he’d harm himself.
It was 10:45 p.m. when SWAT finally filled WilsonÕs room with a chemical irritant which caused him to leave the house. He was arrested on the spot, but transferred to Cooper University Hospital in Camden to treat self-inflicted cuts.
Authorities have charged Wilson with violating a temporary restraining order as well as resisting arrest.
In addition to Gloucester County SWAT and Westville and West Deptford police, Gloucester County EMS, Underwood-Memorial Hospital Paramedics, the National Park Fire Department and the Gloucester County Emergency Response Field Communications Unit responded to the scene.
Copyright 2010 Gloucester County Times