Emporia officers talk apparently depressed resident out of house
By Brandy Nance
Friday, December 19, 2008
Emporia police officers were sent to a house in the 1300 block of Neosho Street at the request of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services for a welfare check at approximately 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
At the same time officers were going to Neosho Street, a resident of the house told a postal service mail carrier that she was going inside the house to harm herself.
Officers set up a perimeter and avoided immediate contact with the resident to avoid making the situation worse. Police tried to telephone the resident with no success. Police spotters could see the resident moving about inside the house.
Police negotiators were called to the scene and managed to talk with the resident. The department’s special response team was also sent to Neosho Street to maintain the scene perimeter and prepare to respond if the situation got worse. Negotiations continued until about 4:45 p.m., when the resident agreed to meet officers outside the house. The resident was taken to Newman Regional Health.
The Emporia Fire and Rescue Department assisted at the scene as did the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
Police said no one in the neighborhood was at risk of harm.