man throws ax at state police cruiser

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – New video has been released after a suspect allegedly threw an ax at a Massachusetts State Police cruiser.

Mass. State Police. said an officer, who had recently graduated from the academy, was on patrol with his trooper coach when they stopped to enter details of a traffic stop around 9 p.m. Monday, shortly before a man in his late 30s approached the passenger side of the cruiser. The troopers reportedly saw the man carrying an ax in his right hand, a machete and several knives.

The man allegedly asked troopers why they didn’t get out of their cruiser to arrest him for possessing the weapons. The troopers attempted to de-escalate the situation and told the man he was free to leave. State police added that the man was staying with the cruiser.

“The Trooper Coach recognized the abnormal behavior and serious threat posed by the proximity of the weapons and instructed the new Trooper to de-escalate by placing the cruiser in reverse and creating distance from the man. As soon as the cruiser moved backwards, the man raised his hand and struck the car several times on the hood, right fender and right headlight. As the cruiser continued to drive away, the man landed and threw the ax at the passenger side of the windshield,” state police explained in a statement.

As the man walked down the street retrieving the battle axe, reinforcements were called for. Springfield police and additional state troopers arrived on the scene, at which point guns were drawn and the man was ordered to drop his weapons. The man eventually relented, dropped his weapons, surrendered and reportedly continued to behave erratically, shouting that he wanted to kill corrections officers and, more broadly, first responders.

Col. Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police said in a statement:

“Despite the serious 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. This event is an example of the excellent police services our members provide 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.”

State police told Western Mass News the man was taken to an area hospital to check for possible injuries. He was then transported to the State Police barracks in Springfield, where he was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.