Updated 07/30/2012 05:56 PM
Man arrested after two hour standoff
BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- The Broome County Sheriff’s office has arrested a man who they say chased a neighbor with a hatchet and then got into a standoff with police.
Sheriff’s deputies received a warrant Monday to take John Sciarra, 61, of Endwell, into custody for a mental health evaluation. When they arrived at his home, a neighbor told them he had just been chased by Sciarra and threatened with a hatchet.
When deputies attempted to confront Sciarra in his home, he refused to cooperate. The situation turned into a standoff after they learned that he may have been in possession of a gun.
After two hours, SWAT team members moved in and tasered Sciarra, taking him into custody. He has been charged with first degree attempted assault, obstructing governmental administration and second degree menacing.