COHASSET, MASS. (WHDH) - A Cohasset man is accused of dangling his two young children from a second-story window during an hours-long standoff with police Sunday afternoon.
Officials said it started when Brien Buckley, 35, entered the Cohasset police station with a chainsaw and tried to use it to break through the security door. When a woman who was at the front desk at the time called for help, Buckley fled and barricaded himself in his home with his two children, both under the age of five.
At 3:40 p.m. Cohasset police issued the order for anyone living within a quarter-mile of Norfolk Road and Cushing Road as they work to get Buckley to leave his home.
Around 8 p.m. police gave the all clear, saying Buckley was in custody and the children were safe. He taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation before being transferred to police custody.
During the nearly six-hour ordeal, Buckley could be seen acting erratically and throwing things out of the windows of the home at SWAT officers who were trying to negotiate with him.
After not seeing the children for more than an hour, Police Chief William Quigley said the decision was made to go into the home through a rear door to make sure they were safe.
“It got to the point where it became seriously concerned for the children, we hadn’t heard or seen them in more than 90 minutes, so the decision was made to enter and make contact with the person.”
Quigley said Buckley resisted arrest and was tazed prior to being taken into custody.
The children were reunited with their mother, who police say provided important background information that helped them strike a chord with Buckley.
Buckley is set to appear in court Monday and is facing charges including child endangerment, resisting arrest, and disturbing the peace.
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