An armed man has been taken into custody after an hourslong standoff with police at Emerson College's Rotch Field in Boston's South End Tuesday, officials said.
The situation evolved over about seven hours, and several loud bangs were heard just before Boston police announced the standoff was over. Family members at the scene were hoping he can get the mental health counseling they said he needs.
Initial calls were received just before 10 a.m., and the standoff was still ongoing as of 4:45 p.m., closing the area around Albany and Randolph streets.
The man at the heart of the standoff hasn't been publicly identified. His father, at the scene, told NBC10 Boston he is homeless and suffers from mental health issues. His sister said the man's 4-year-old son was able to record a message, which was played to him and calmed him down.
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Boston police have urged people to avoid Albany Street between East Berkeley Street and Malden Street due to "police activity." Dozens of state, local and MBTA Transit police responded to the scene.
Emerson College issued a campus alert saying there was an armed person with unknown intent at Rotch Field on its Boston campus. All community members were urged to avoid the area until told otherwise.
Photos taken by NBC10 Boston showed a man waving a gun around as police surrounded the area.
A large crime scene was established, with police tape and police vehicles blocking off a large area.
SWAT teams reportedly had long guns ready and additional police continued to arrive at the scene as the situation unfolded.
