Parts of Meriden were closed off Friday after a man allegedly hit and threatened a neighbor and then locked himself in his apartment, prompting an emergency alert to be issued, police said.
Police were called to a home on Pleasant Street at 3:10 p.m., when a man who lived there reportedly threatened a neighbor with a knife, according to the Meriden Police Department.
When officers arrived on scene they learned that the man had allegedly also hit the neighbor with a metal pipe in the shared hallway of their apartment building.
The man, identified as Angelo Maggio, 61, had reportedly gone back to his own apartment, police said.
Officers learned that he owned firearms so, out of caution, a reverse 911 message was sent to residents in the immediate area and a perimeter was formed, closing Pleasant Street to traffic, police said.
Police negotiators were able to speak to the suspect on the phone “eventually leading to the peaceful resolution,” police said.
Meriden police said in a statement that they did not think Maggio was a threat to the community, but issued the alert out of an abundance of caution.
“At no time did we feel that anyone was in immediate danger: however, we will never fail to take the appropriate steps to ensure that the safety of our citizens are our first priority.”
Maggio was taken into custody, provided with medical treatment, and charged with assault, threatening and breach of peace, all in the second degree, police said.
He was being held on a $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 1.
