Updated: What police say about standoff in Ashburnham

Stephen Landry, Gardner News
·2 min read

ASHBURNHAM ― A standoff that caused officials to close off roads around Cushing Academy and sent pedestrians scurrying from the school's sidewalks and playing fields ended at about 9:45 a.m. Thursday after a suspect was taken from the scene in an ambulance.

The suspect, whose name was not released by officials, was expected to face several charges as a result of the incident.

ASHBURNHAM - A state police tactical vehicle leaves the area of the Cushing Academy campus after a chase and standoff ended there Thursday, March 30, 2023.
ASHBURNHAM - A state police tactical vehicle leaves the area of the Cushing Academy campus after a chase and standoff ended there Thursday, March 30, 2023.

The incident began at approximately 8:00 a.m. when the Ashburnham Police Department received a call that a vehicle was failing to stop for Winchendon police and was heading towards Ashburnham. The operator of the vehicle was suspected to have possibly been involved in an unarmed robbery in Fitzwilliam, NH, according to officials.

The vehicle continued through Winchendon on Rte. 140 and then into Gardner, where it turned north on Rte. 101 and continued to not stop for police. The vehicle traveled onto School St. in Ashburnham, which is a dead-end road on the Cushing Academy campus. With police blocking the only exit, the vehicle drove onto a sidewalk between two buildings and entered the school's playing fields.

ASHBURNHAM - Members of the state police STOP team gather in the area of Route 101 and Willard Road where a man refused to get out of his vehicle after a chase Thursday, March 30, 2023. The chase went through Cushing Academy briefly and the standoff ended just off the campus grounds.
ASHBURNHAM - Members of the state police STOP team gather in the area of Route 101 and Willard Road where a man refused to get out of his vehicle after a chase Thursday, March 30, 2023. The chase went through Cushing Academy briefly and the standoff ended just off the campus grounds.

Several people had to flee sidewalks and the field areas during this time, according to police. The operator of the vehicle made several attempts to strike Ashburnham police vehicles and did strike a Winchendon police vehicle, according to officials.

The vehicle then exited the fields and returned to Center St. at the intersection of Willard Rd. The vehicle, unable to make a right turn onto Willard Rd., continued straight down a private residential driveway and into the woods, where it became stuck. The operator barricaded himself in the vehicle and refused to cooperate with police.

State Police special tactical operations team involved

The Massachusetts State Police’s Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit assisted in the incident. At approximately 9:45 a.m., the suspect was placed into custody and transported by the Ashburnham Fire Department to an emergency facility for evaluation.

ASHBURNHAM - A man is loaded into an ambulance in the area of Route 101 and Willard Road after a chase and standoff Thursday, March 30, 2023.
ASHBURNHAM - A man is loaded into an ambulance in the area of Route 101 and Willard Road after a chase and standoff Thursday, March 30, 2023.

There was no threat to the public during the incident, according to Ashburnham officials. No injuries were sustained by the suspect, pedestrians, or law enforcement officials.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident, including videos, contact Detective Les Holgerson at lholgerson@ashburnham-ma.gov.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Ashburnham standoff ends near Cushing Academy