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Video shows police encounter emotionally disturbed woman armed with loaded gun
Plymouth Township Police have released body worn camera footage showing the tense moments when they encountered an emotionally disturbed woman armed with a loaded gun at a shopping center in Montgomery County Saturday afternoon.
PLYMOUTH TWP., Pa. - Plymouth Township Police have released clips of bodyworn camera and dashboard camera footage showing the tense moments when they encountered an emotionally disturbed woman armed with a loaded gun on Saturday afternoon.
Police say around 2 p.m., staff at the Guitar Center in the Metroplex Shopping Center on Chemical Road called them to say a woman was in the store, pointing her gun at the heads of multiple customers and screaming incoherently. Police say customers were hiding in the store and some ran outside to safety.
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A terrifying tirade at a Plymouth Township store left customers running for safety, and ended with an armed woman being taken into custody.
When officers arrived, the woman moved outside the store. The video captures police yelling for the woman to drop the gun repeatedly. At one point an officer can be heard saying, "we don’t want to shoot you."
"The female did not comply with numerous orders from police to drop the gun. During her non-compliance, the female pointed her gun at officers several times," said Detective Sgt. Chris Schwartz.
After several minutes outside the store, police say the woman eventually laid on the ground with her gun next to her, which they later found was loaded with eight rounds, including one in the chamber.
"Officers approached the female and took her into custody," says Schwartz. "The officers showed incredible restraint in this incident, and we are incredibly proud of the actions they took that day to keep her safe, to keep civilians safe, and keep herself safe."
Police could not say why the woman, who they are choosing not to identify at this time, was inside the store or if she had any connections to staff or customers there. She does not have any history with Plymouth Township Police.
Schwartz says she does have a permit to carry. She was taken to Montgomery County Emergency Services for further evaluation and charged with aggravated assault among other related charges.
Regular customer, Gerry Clark, says he was pleased to hear about the peaceful outcome.
"It’s nice to know the police, the stores’ staff seemed to know how to handle it effectively," said Clark, who also worked for decades as a psychiatric social worker. "I think the bigger issue is this person had a gun and gun control is a much bigger concern, especially in the hands of mentally ill people."
Anyone with additional video of the incident is asked to contact Schwartz at the Plymouth Township Police Department at 610-279-1901.