THE STAND-OFF in Earlsdon has tonight been brought to a safe conclusion after specialist armed officers forced their way into the property.
The 41-year-old man, who had barricaded himself and his eight-year-old son in the flat in Earlsdon Avenue North since 12.20am on Sunday, has been taken into custody where he will be assessed by mental health professionals.
His son, believed to have been physically unharmed, is with other family members and will receive any necessary support from professionals for any emotional and medical requirements.
Supt Ronan Tyrer, of Coventry Police, said: “This has been an incredibly sensitive and challenging siege, which had a boy aged eight, at its heart.
“His safety was our main concern throughout this and so I’m sure everyone in Coventry shares in our relief that we have been able to get him safely out of the house today.
“The situation became untenable and it was decided to bring the siege to an end.
“At all times, we had to balance the risk to the boy being kept in the house, with the risk that he could be harmed if we did enter the house.
“Thankfully, he appears to be physically unharmed at this stage – but he is being properly cared for now to ensure he gets all the emotional and other support he needs.”
Supt Tryer praised the local Earlsdon community for their support during a very difficult situation.
“We are incredibly thankful for the way that the community in Earlsdon have supported us.
“We know it’s been drawn-out, tough and frustrating, but we have done our best to help you through this.
“I’d like to thank the firearms officers, negotiators, neighbourhood and other officers who have worked day and night to protect this boy, and the public.”
Earlsdon Primary School will also reopen on Friday after being closed since Monday, for the duration of the stand-off.
