New Bedford police de-escalate potentially violent situation

NEW BEDFORD, Mass (WLNE) — Several New Bedford police officers de-escalated a potentially violent situation Monday in response to a call of a man with knife.

The officers arrived at a north end residence to serve a commitment order to an emotionally troubled person who was known to have been violent in the past.

The subject was located in a parked vehicle when officers arrived and was holding a kitchen knife which he gestured towards police.

The officers then initiated a communication with the subject, with family members assisting the officers.

He eventually surrendered the weapon and exited the vehicle and accompanied the police to the hospital.

“I’m proud of the officers’ approach to this call and their commitment to de-escalation during an extremely volatile situation. In the past, police were conditioned to simply charge recklessly forward to resolve a perceived threat,” said New Bedford Chief Paul Oliveira. “Today, officers are taking the time to consider all their options. That’s exactly what happened here, and the result couldn’t have been better.”