[NYPD] Ex Officer Heitmann's standoff with shots fired treated compassionately

...They theorized that a reaction to medication may have caused Heitmann to become agitated and delusional early Saturday, when he fired several shots from a service revolver and demanded his family and a male tenant leave as officers pulled up outside...

STANDOFF IN LONG ISLAND Police send in robot
myfoxny.com
Adrian Carrasquillo
Saturday, 10 Oct 2009
[Excerpts] Police in Elmont, Long Island were held at bay by former NYPD officer, Frank Heitmann, who sent his family out of the home and fired shots as cops arrived on the scene on Saturday morning. Special operations officers carried shields and assault rifles as they attempted to reason with the sixty-five year old retired sergeant. A neighbor who asked to remain anonymous reported hearing six shots fired out of the home. According to Newsday, public records show that Frank Heitmann and his wife live at the 646 Bauer Ct. residence... and an adult daughter who is disabled. Heitmann has had several health problems... Police sent a remote-controlled robot into the home to safely check on Heitmann using video surveillance. Once police made contact, Heitmann allowed officers to come inside and take him to an area hospital for medical evaluation. No injuries were reported. [Full article here]

RETIRED COP FIRES GUN, THOUGHT HOME BEING INVADED
newsday.com
By Andrew Strickler andrew.strickler@newsday.com
October 10, 2009
[Excerpts] A retired New York City cop who believed his home was threatened by unseen invaders fired shots and ordered his family to flee Saturday, triggering a lengthy standoff at his Elmont home that ended peacefully, police said. Frank Heitmann, 65, who retired from the NYPD about 10 years ago, was disoriented but uninjured as he was carried from his Bauer Court home on a stretcher to an ambulance about six hours after Nassau police answered a call for medical help... They theorized that a reaction to medication may have caused Heitmann to become agitated and delusional early Saturday, when he fired several shots from a service revolver and demanded his family and a male tenant leave as officers pulled up outside. Patrol officers were later joined by hostage negotiators and emergency service officers wearing armor and carrying assault rifles... Police said that Heitmann never threatened his wife or stepdaughter, Natasha, who is developmentally disabled. None of the shots left the house, and officials said they were treating the incident as a medical issue, not a criminal act... [Full article here]
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