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Blind cat ‘Mayday’ rescued from WB house fire

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Bereaved mom’s emotional presentation warns Nanticoke students about distracted driving

<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; Several streets surrounding a residence in the 200 block of West Green Street were shut down to motorists and pedestrians when a man threatened to harm police officers or anyone else who entered his property on Wednesday.</p><p>After more than two hours, the standoff that centered at 217 W. Green St. ended peacefully when the man surrendered just before 1 p.m.</p><p>State police troopers with the Community Emergency Response Tactical Team, or CERT, armed with assault rifles and heavy body armor surrounded the house as police closed off several blocks just before 11 a.m. A staging area was set up in the parking lot of Nanticoke Fitness on West Main Street where emergency medical technicians stood by.</p><p>At about 12:50 p.m., an armored Bobcat with a battering ram arrived on a flat bed trailer and was driving up West Main Street toward West Green Street when the man surrendered.</p><p>The man, whose name was not released, was transported to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital on an involuntary mental health commitment.</p><p>Police Chief Tom Wall said a city officer obtained what is called a 302 mental health ommitment warrant to serve on the man.</p><p>&#8220;We had complaints from residents, previous incidents, involving this individual,&#8221; Wall noted. &#8220;He did not answer his door. Shortly after our officers attempted to make contact with him, he exited his residence in the rear and shot at his neighbor&#8217;s house with an air rifle.&#8221;</p><p>Wall said surveillance cameras on the man&#8217;s house were disabled and the state police CERT team were called to assist.</p><p>Troopers with the CERT team dressed in camouflage gear and brandishing assault rifles gathered at the staging area, and set up a perimeter around the house.</p><p>West Green Street between Fairchild and West Main streets were immediately closed.</p><p>As the standoff continued, police closed down other side streets including West Main Street from Alden Road to South Hanover streets.</p><p>Residents were told to &#8220;shelter-in-place.&#8221;</p><p>Wall said police were aware the man was armed with an air rifle and believed he may have had a cross-bow.</p><p>&#8220;We did check to see if there was any history or record of any other weapons. To date, we do not have any but that doesn&#8217;t mean he could have bought them privately,&#8221; Wall said.</p><p>Wall said there was signs posted outside the man&#8217;s residence.</p><p>&#8220;There are signage he had in place indicating if anyone tried to make contact with him or enter his residence, he would shoot them,&#8221; Wall said.</p><p>Wall said if the standoff continued for several more hours, arrangements were going to be put into place to fine alternate routes for buses when Greater Nanticoke Area dismissed students for the day.</p><p>No injuries were reported.</p><p>Streets were reopened when the man surrendered.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Members of the State Police CERT wait outside of a home on West Green Street in Nanticoke in hopes a man will surrender on Wednesday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Members of the State Police CERT wait outside of a home on West Green Street in Nanticoke in hopes a man will surrender on Wednesday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of the State Police CERT get set outside of a home on West Green Street in Nanticoke in hopes a man will surrender on Wednesday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Members of the State Police CERT get set outside of a home on West Green Street in Nanticoke in hopes a man will surrender on Wednesday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of the State Police CERT get set outside of a home on West Green Street in Nanticoke in hopes a man will surrender on Wednesday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Members of the State Police CERT get set outside of a home on West Green Street in Nanticoke in hopes a man will surrender on Wednesday morning. Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A PA State Police officer gets into an armored bobcat while trying to have a man surrender to police during a West Green Street standoff Wednesday. Aimee DIlger|Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_TTL042519policestandoff4.jpg</photo3><caption3>A PA State Police officer gets into an armored bobcat while trying to have a man surrender to police during a West Green Street standoff Wednesday. Aimee DIlger|Times Leader </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

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Man surrenders in Nanticoke standoff