Crime & Safety

Police Identify Beverly Man Tasered After Two Hour Standoff

A 65-year-old man was taken into custody after a standoff that lasted more than two hours at a Essex Street housing complex on Friday.

Police identified 65-year-old Michael Gallagher as the Beverly man involved in a two hour standoff that resulted in him being tasered Friday afternoon. 

Police said at 11:43 a.m., officers Michael Henebury and Jeff Liacos, alongside members of the Elliot Community Human Services (ECHS) responded to Gallagher's residence on Essex Street to check his well being.

Police said Gallagher had been working with ECHS but had sent an email to his social worker terminating services, advising them not to involve the police because “any attempt by police to enter my apartment will be met with deadly force.” 

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When police arrived they spoke to Gallagher through the door, asking him to cooperate and get the medical help he needed, but he refused to open the door, yelled obscenities using a hostile tone, and made threats to kill anyone who walked through the door.

When the officers were able to open the door, with the assistance of building maintenance personnel, and observed Gallagher steps from the doorway holding a larger butcher knife above his head, the release said.

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Officers drew their firearms and ordered Gallagher to drop the knife, but Gallagher reportedly refused and instead started toward them in a threatening manner, holding the knife in the air. Once at the doorway, Gallagher slammed the door closed and locked it

Concerned about Gallagher’s safety and the safety of the public in general, the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) SWAT Team was requested to assist with the situation, as well as backup officers, the release said. 

The NEMLEC Swat Team and negotiators arrived on scene and tried to appeal to Gallagher to open the door. SWAT officers were able to place a camera under the door to see that Gallagher was sitting in a chair placed against the door and waited for him to move away so they could safely enter.

The Beverly Fire Department also assisted the NEMLEC SWAT Team by placing a ladder up to Gallagher’s apartment window in case that entry point was needed. 

At approximately 2 p.m., SWAT officers observed Gallagher get up from the chair and walk across the apartment toward the window. At this point the NEMLEC SWAT Team breached the apartment and observed Gallagher standing approximately 12 feet away, again holding the large butcher knife in the air. Officers yelled several times for him to drop the knife, but he refused and once again came at officers in a threatening manner.

At that point officers used a taser to subdue him and he was taken into custody. 

Once Gallagher was in custody and the scene was deemed safe, medical personnel from Northeast Regional Ambulance entered the apartment and Gallagher was ultimately transported to Beverly Hospital for treatment.

"Thanks to an efficient and effective response from NEMLEC, officers were able to get Gallagher the medical attention he needed, without injuring him and while keeping everyone else around," the department said in the release. 

Courtesy of the Beverly Police Department


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