An unnamed person, protected by the state legislature’s 2014 secrecy law, who was barricaded with, what police said, was “live” ammunition inside a Methuen home was arrested by Methuen police Sunday night.
Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara said “the individual was taken into custody without incident shortly before 9 p. m. Sunday. A live round of ammunition was found inside the residence, and Methuen Police are continuing to investigate.”
Shortly before 5 p.m., Sunday, Methuen Police responded to a home on Arabian Drive for a report that “a suspect in a prior incident” was at the residence.
The Northeast Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT Team, known as NEMLEC for short, was dispatched for support.
Police openly blamed the legislature for the lack of transparency, saying, “Due to the domestic violence law of 2014, Methuen Police are prohibited from releasing additional information about the suspect or the circumstances of the incident.” Critics of the law say it protects perpetrators and not victims.