AUSTINTOWN, Ohio - A neighborhood was held hostage for a time as an Austintown man with nearly a dozen weapons in his home threatened to harm himself.
It happened Monday morning at the Kerry Brook Apartments in Austintown.
Neighbors were evacuated as a precaution as the man threatened to harm himself and anyone who tried to enter the home.
Austintown Police Chief Bob Gavalier says, "The gentleman contacted his place of employment today. He told them that he wasn't coming in to work today, that he was going to harm himself and they called us. We responded down here. We tried to talk him in to coming out of the apartment and found out he had some weapons in there."
That's when Austintown police called in the Mahoning Valley's Crisis Response Team. Witnesses say at one point 26-year-old Donald Robertson came to the window brandishing a rifle and a handgun.
After several hours, negotiators were able to talk him in to coming out.
Robertson was taken by ambulance and police escort to St. Elizabeth Medcial Center.
Negotiators say in cases like this, the telephone is their best option for a peaceful resolution.
Det. Sgt. John Elberty, the commander of the crisis response team, says "Obviously if he was contemplating suicide there were problems that he was having. We just discussed the problems and gave him options to get him help afterwards."
Austintown police tell 21 News that Robertson was worried about his guns, because he wanted to keep possession of his guns. But authorities say what's unclear is exactly why he wanted to harm himself.
Police seized eight to 10 hunting weapons from Robertson's townhouse.
Charges are pending against him at this time, but police say right now they just want to make sure Robertson receives the help he needs.
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