Berkeley police spent three hours Monday negotiating with a man who had locked himself in his family’s apartment in the 1500 block of Prince Street after threatening to kill officers and harm his mother and brother.

The subject eventually surrendered and he was taken to a medical facility on an emergency psychiatric hold, according to police. Charges may be pending, according to a Berkeley Police Department Nixle alert.

Police received a 911 call at 10:22 a.m. from the mother of the subject. “The reporting party stated she locked herself in the bedroom because her 34-year old son had been smoking drugs and that he was making threats towards her and her older son,” according to police.

When police arrived the older son (not the subject) was coming down an outside staircase and told his brother to stay away. The subject went back into his house to get a knife and then told police he intended to use it on the officers. The mother was able to get the knife away from her son, who then barricaded himself in the apartment. Police got the mother and older brother away safely.

At that point Berkeley police used one of their trained negotiators and various mental health professionals to talk to the subject.

“Over the following three hours, numerous conversations were had with the subject who appeared to be mentally ill, had erratic behavior and was likely under the influence of illegal drugs,” according to police. “On two occasions during this incident, the subject threw glass bottles at the officers’ outside. The bottles shattered at the officers’ feet, but no officers or bystanders were injured. Throughout the incident, the subject repeatedly came to the window and threatened to kill the officers.”

Three hours later the subject surrendered. All blocked roads have now re-opened.

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