Police have blocked off East Broadway at Rutgers Street where an apparent hostage situation is unfolding. A few moments ago they set off flares. They’re focusing on an apartment at 135 East Broadway. We’ll have more details as they become available…
UPDATE 8:29 p.m. Police were called to 135 East Broadway, a tenement building, where there were reports that a man had locked himself in the basement and was turning the power on and off. They took him into custody, along with three compound bows (there were no arrows). The suspect did not threaten police or anyone else with the bows but officers confiscated them during their investigation. The man, who appeared to be in his 30’s or 40’s, has been taken to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. He’s a Chinese-speaker who was not able to answer questions from cops in English.
