Baltimore police say a hostage/barricade situation was resolved peacefully Wednesday. Officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue at approximately 12:20 p.m.
Investigators say a 38-year old woman and two children, ages 6 and 9 were inside the apartment and that the woman was threatening suicide. The un-identified woman took a picture of the gun and sent it to family members. The Baltimore Police Department Crisis Response Team responded to the situation, and were familiar with the adult female. After extensive conversations, they were able to convince her to come out of the home and the situation was resolved without further incident. The children were located inside of the apartment safe and unharmed. They are now in the custody of other family members.
In released statement, Baltimore Police Chief Kevin expressed relief for the peaceful resolution, and concern for the woman. "People are dealing with various degrees of trauma and mental health crisis," said Davis. "We started this [Crisis Response Team] for situations like this. Pairing a sworn officer with a licensed clinician is a de-escalation method necessary in 21st century policing. I'm grateful for a peaceful resolution."
The adult female will be taken for an emergency evaluation and no criminal charges have been filed.