Police end shelter-in-place order for Newtown Township neighborhood, officials have person in custody
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- Newtown Township police lifted a shelter-in-place order for a neighborhood near Headley Drive and Newtown-Yardley Road Sunday morning, about two hours after officials first told people to avoid the area.
In an update posted later in the afternoon, police confirmed that the incident began after they received reports of a physical assault involving an armed person. Earlier in the morning, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office told CBS Philadelphia that police were dealing with a domestic incident possibly involving an armed individual.
According to police, officers were notified of the assault around 7 a.m. When they arrived at a residence on Independence Place, located in the Headley development, they found a female victim who had escaped from the rear of the property.
After learning the suspected male offender was armed, police said "out of an abundance of caution, a decision was made to activate the South-Central Emergency Response Team for a possible barricaded subject. A shelter in place order was pushed out via social media and through the HOA."
After about two-and-half hours, police said they made contact with the man inside and took him into custody.
Police have Headley Drive blocked off at Newtown-Yardley Rd in Newtown Township for a “domestic situation.” There’s a shelter in place for the surrounding community. Still working to get details on exactly what’s going on @CBSPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/QssvlFSNIG
— Ross DiMattei CBS Philadelphia (@RossDiMattei) March 17, 2024
In an update on Facebook around 10 a.m., the department said "there is no danger to the community" and "police operations have ended safely."
Police first posted on social media about the shelter-in-place just after 8 a.m. Sunday and the entrance to the development at Headley Drive and Newtown-Yardley Road was blocked off for several hours.
Police said the female victim had minor injuries from the "initial altercation" but refused medical treatment. No one else was hurt during the incident.