FREMONT — A resident at a senior living facility on North Street was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest after she attempted to barricade herself, her son and a staff member inside her room using a paring knife.
Police were dispatched to the facility Wednesday after nursing staff reported feeling threatened by a resident’s son, who was visiting at the time.
Get back
A nurse was administering medication to resident, according to a police report. During the visit, the resident’s son began shouting homophobic slurs and threatening to assault a staff member in the parking lot. The man made threats against staff members before, according to the report, so he was asked to leave or face trespass charges.
When officers arrived, an argument ensued. The resident grabbed a kitchen paring knife in an attempt to prevent staff and officers from entering her room, according to the report, briefly locking a staff member inside.
The resident repeatedly opened and closed the door while holding the knife upright in a threatening posture. An officer drew his Taser and ordered the resident to drop the weapon. She eventually placed the knife in a kitchen sink near the entrance.
Officers forced open the door, secured the weapon and prevented the resident from shutting the door. Her son was ordered to leave the premises immediately under threat of arrest for criminal trespassing; he gathered his belongings and exited the building.
Arrest and evaluation
As officers attempted to take the resident into custody for obstructing official business, she gripped nearby furniture and physically resisted being handcuffed. While waiting for emergency medical services to evaluate her, she threw a glass of water into the face of one of the facility’s nurses. Although EMS evaluated the resident for a suspected panic attack and reported no visible injuries, officers determined she should remain at her apartment due to her physical health rather than being transported to jail.
Formal charges of Obstructing Official Business and Resisting Arrest were later served, along with a summons for a mandatory court appearance.