A man is in police custody after an hours-long standoff with police where he waved a machete at officers and SWAT in Medway, all of which prompted a street closure on Friday, the Medway Police Department said.
Police went to the area of a house at 66 Oakland St. after receiving a 911 call about a man, later identified as Adam Zwetchkenbaum, 39, yelling at cars while not wearing a shirt, the department said in a statement. When police arrived, one officer saw a car backing away from the man while he was in the street and smashing something police did not identify.
“Officers did not have a clear view of what was happening then,” police said.
Officers recognized Zwetchkenbaum as the owner of the house as he ran inside, having been to the home before during “previous involvement[s],” the statement read.
He came back out carrying a machete and threatened officers with it, police said.
“As he aggressively approached an officer, waving the machete and issuing threats, the officer shot him with a 40mm less-lethal projectile, which knocked him partially to the ground but did not disable him or cause him to drop the weapon,” the statement read.
Zwetchkenbaum ran back inside as police established a perimeter, police said. The Medway Fire Department, EMS and Mills and Franklin police all came to assist. Oakland Street was then closed off to traffic.
SWAT and MetroLEC negotiators arrived, with the negotiators attempting to talk to Zwetchkenbaum while inside, police said. He stepped outside at 1 p.m., when “he resisted arrest and was taken into custody by a SWAT team,” the statement read.
Zwetchkenbaum was taken to the hospital for evaluation. He faces an assault with a dangerous weapon charge, among others, and is expected to be arraigned on Monday, police said.
As of 2:08 p.m., police were working to reopen Oakland Street to oncoming traffic.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
