Standoff ends peacefully in Huntington

BY CHRISTINE ARMARIO | christine.armario@newsday.com

8:33 PM EDT, May 7, 2008

Residents on one Huntington block were left on edge early Wednesday afternoon when a man began vomiting and throwing glass bottles out his second-story window and police negotiated for more than three hours before he peacefully came down, officials said.

Police were called to 8 E. Carver Street at 10:37 a.m., where the individual lives above a hair salon and was seen yelling and spitting. Officers blocked off the street and hostage negotiators encouraged the man to come down.

Police were seen with guns and bulletproof vests, and they turned back residents trying to access the street, one witness said. Eventually, one of the man's friends was able to communicate with him and the individual peacefully surrendered to authorities at 1:52 p.m.

The resident was transported to Huntington Hospital, where he was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, police said.

His name was not released, and police said that as of Wednesday afternoon he had not been charged with any crimes. It was unclear if he had been armed and whether he threatened anyone during the ordeal.

Laura Lavelle, who works at the hair salon, said police have been called to deal with the resident before.