When the officers arrived, they confronted a man, who police have not yet named, who was holding a handgun, Moody said. The man indicated that he was going to commit suicide, at one point aiming the gun at his head, he said.
“There was a shot fired,” Moody said. “But officers were very patient, very tactical in their approach.”
The man retreated back into the house, and officers cordoned off the neighborhood and called in the city’s Special Operations Team, Moody said.
The department had 15 officers on the scene, according to Sgt. David Emmel.
Police negotiators began a long conversation with the man, Moody said. “We brought in family members, members of the clergy,” he said. “We kept that rapport going.
“This gentleman understood that we weren’t going to lie to him about how we were going to move and what was going to happen.”
After his surrender at 2:55 p.m., the man was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center for evaluation, Moody said.
The chief said officers were waiting for a warrant to search the house and retrieve the handgun. He said he would be talking to the prosecutor later about charges.
“But the focus here right now is to get this gentleman some treatment at the hospital, get him evaluated, get him back with this family,” Moody said.
Moody said family members were “continually” kept apprised of what officers were doing.
“There were clear, constant communications with the family and leaders in this community,” he said. “And that pays dividends.”
Moody said no officers were injured during the standoff.
“The men and women of the Springfield Police Division showed a great deal of professionalism and patience today with this gentleman,” Moody said. “They did one heck of a job.”
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