Standoff in Ashburnham ends peacefully

Stephen Landry, Telegram & Gazette
·1 min read
Members of a state police tactical unit gather int he area of Route 101 and Willard Road in Ashburnham Thursday morning. There was a standoff with a man who refused to exit his vehicle.
Members of a state police tactical unit gather int he area of Route 101 and Willard Road in Ashburnham Thursday morning. There was a standoff with a man who refused to exit his vehicle.

ASHBURNHAM ― A standoff that caused officials to close off roads around Cushing Academy ended about 11:20 a.m. Thursday when a suspect was taken from the scene in an ambulance.

According to officials, the suspect fled a police stop in Winchendon and drove into the wood line on Route 101 in Ashburnham, near Cushing Academy. The suspect then refused police commands to exit the vehicle.

Ashburnham police had urged residents to avoid the area of Willard and Central streets due to an ongoing situation and police activity in the area.

The Massachusetts State Police’s Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit assisted in the incident. A police helicopter could be seen overhead as the situation unfolded.

There was no threat to the public during the incident, according to Ashburnham officials.

A state police tactical vehicle leaves the area of the Cushing Academy campus after a chase and standoff ended there Thursday.
A state police tactical vehicle leaves the area of the Cushing Academy campus after a chase and standoff ended there Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Cushing Academy in Ashburnham in lockdown after police pursuit