Police arrested a man with a shotgun following a standoff in Franklin County. Authorities say the suspect was suicidal.
It happened around 1:00p.m. in the area of the 100 block of Lincoln Way East near a McDonald's and Long John Silvers along Route 30 in Chambersburg. Route 30 had to be blocked off and stores closed down.
When police arrived on the scene, they found 45 year-old Benjamin Hughes of Hartford, Vermont in a parking lot near his vehicle. Authorities say Hughes was holding a shotgun to his head-- threatening suicide. PSP was then contacted for help in establishing a perimeter, and officers from the Chambersburg Police Department made communications with Hughes.
According to police, Hughes put the shotgun down and continued to communicate with CPD several times during negotiations. As Hughes attempted to retreat back to his vehicle to get the shotgun again, officers were able to approach him where he refused commands. An officer grabbed Hughes and he tensed up to fight with officers. At that time, he was tasered and he was taken into custody. He was transported to the Chambersburg Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Previously reported:
A standoff in Franklin County ends peacefully after police arrested an armed suspect this afternoon.
It happened near a McDonald's and Long John Silvers along Route 30 in Chambersburg. Route 30 had to be blocked off and stores closed down.
FOX43 spoke to one person who got stuck in an AutoZone store where the suspect was said to be hiding behind the building.
"I went to the AutoZone to get a couple of batteries, and I was coming back out the door when a state cop came up to me and said 'you need to go back in'," Denny Messner said. "So, they locked the doors. We could only see from the glass down. They wouldn't even let us come out the back."
Police have since cleared the area. They have not released the man's name yet.