Mass. police officer hit on the head with hammer while responding to mental health crisis call

A Manchester-by-the-Sea police officer was taken to a hospital Tuesday night after a man in the midst of a mental health crisis hit him in the head with a hammer, according to police.

Manchester-by-the-Sea police responded to a Summer Street home shortly before 8:30 p.m. after receiving a report about a disturbance involving “a family member” who was “out of control,” the police department said in a press release. Officers determined that the situation might be dangerous and requested assistance from Essex police while heading to the scene.

At the home, officers learned from the man’s family members that he was experiencing a mental health crisis and “acting violently,” police said. As a result, the family members had fled the home.

Officers “tactically” entered the home’s garage to search for the man, who immediately attacked them with a claw hammer and rake, police said. A struggle ensued, and officers used non-lethal weapons to take the man into custody. The man was transported to Beverly Hospital for evaluation.

A Manchester-by-the-Sea police officer who was struck in the head with the hammer during the incident was also taken to Beverly Hospital by ambulance, police said. He was treated for a non-life-threatening head injury and later released.

Officers also requested that a mental health clinician respond to the scene, but the incident unfolded before the clinician arrived, police said.

“It was alarming to see how violent the individual was on scene,” Essex Police Chief Thomas Shamshak Jr. said in the release. “It was a potentially lethal situation. I credit the officers with using their training and tactics to preserve life.”

Criminal charges will likely be filed against the man, Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald said in the release. The incident remains under investigation.