SWAT officers responded to an emergency situation on Tuesday at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., which was later discovered to involve an on-duty officer.
Police were called to the facility, known as Natick Labs, at 9:15 a.m. for a possible distressed individual.
“This person that we were looking for was an on-duty security officer for the base,” Natick Police Department Chief Jim Hicks said in a news conference. “The officers were working to talk with him, to discuss with him what was going on. He fled the officers into an area of the base, where he was contained.”
The suspect was not immediately identified by authorities.
Aerial views of the scene showed several SWAT team members and law enforcement officials gathered around an entrance to the facility, located on General Greene Avenue in Natick.
Hicks told reporters that after several hours, the man surrendered and was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated. No injuries were reported.
Nearby, both Wilson Middle School and Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School were placed in a brief security hold out of an abundance of caution.
“The Natick Police Department has advised us that the safety concern in the area of Wilson Middle School and Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School has been resolved,” Natick Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melissa Spash said in a statement obtained by Military.com. “As a result, the secure hold at both Wilson Middle School and Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School has been lifted.
“Both schools have returned to normal operations. Dismissal and all after-school activities will proceed as planned.”
The Natick Soldier Systems Center researches and develops Army soldier uniforms, meals and other systems used daily by service members. The facility employs about 150 active-duty, 1,500 federal civil servants, 200 civilian contractors, and serves over 6,000 retirees, according to its website.
This is a breaking story. It will be updated with additional information.
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