A stand-off in which a man had barricaded himself inside a property with his young son since Sunday has ended after police officers forced their way inside, Coventry Police has said.
Specialist firearms officers entered the property in Coventry just after 8.30pm and detained the 41-year-old man. He is in custody and will be assessed by mental health professionals.
His eight-year-old son, who is believed to have been physically unharmed, is with other family.
Superintendent 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.”
He added: “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.
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“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.
“We are incredibly thankful for the way that the community in Earlsdon have supported us. We know it has 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.”