The mental health of a city man is being evaluated after he threatened to hurt himself with a gun rather than be incarcerated for violating probation, according to police.
Middletown Police received a call from a probation officer on Thursday about the well-being of his charge, Jerame Henderson, 27, who had been arrested for driving under the influence on March 22, according to the report.
His probation officer told police Henderson had threated to commit random crimes and harm himself with a firearm, after allegedly saying he would rather harm himself than go to jail.
Officers arrived at 273 Spencer Drive, Henderson's home, believing he was inside. Computer checks revealed he had no legal authorization to possess a weapon. Officers set up a perimeter at his house and notified the hostage negotiation team, according to the report.
According to Superintendent of Schools Patricia Charles, Snow Elementary School — a quarter of a mile away — had been dismissed on a half-day schedule by that time, however middle school students who lived in the area were held back at Woodrow Wilson until staff was notified there was no danger to letting students off at bus stops nearby. Parents of those students were notified, Charles said.
The emergency response team was also activated, replacing patrol officers on the perimeter on standby if entry to the home was necessary, the report says.
Henderson repeatedly hung up the phone on police, who eventually pinpointed his locations throughout Middletown as he moved around.
Henderson agreed to come to headquarters and meet with negotiators, the report says, and is being evaluated by mobile crisis. The incident ended safely and he was unharmed, accorind to the report.
Henderson is on probation for a domestic violence incident in New Britain from December 2009, in which he was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, in second-degree strangulation, second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault and violation of a protective order.
He faces a probation violation but has not yet been arrested, police say.