Woman Held Knife to Neck While Lying in Busy Poughkeepsie, NY Roadway

Police rushed to a busy Hudson Valley intersection this week to assist a woman who was holding a knife to her own neck while lying in the middle of a busy road.

Town of Poughkeepsie Police responded to a call on Monday in the area of Raymond Avenue and Haight Avenue just after 4pm. According to officers, there were reports of a "female laying (sic) in the roadway holding a knife to her neck." When they arrived at the scene, first responders found the woman in the road and attempted to get her to drop the knife.

Officers attempted to talk with the woman and get her to release the weapon for over 20 minutes before additional units responded to the scene, including two members of the Town of Poughkeepsie Crisis Negotiation Unit. The scary scene continued as negotiators continued to communicate with the woman, finally convincing her to drop the knife, but she was physically unable to pull it away from herself. Officers quickly sprung into action and were able to secure the distressed woman and safely remove the knife. The female was then transported to Hudson Regional Hospital.

The Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department applauded "the quick response of patrol officers, the training of all Town of Poughkeepsie Police Officers in Crisis Intervention, and effective communication at the scene resulted in a peaceful resolution." As a result of their teamwork, neither the woman, responding officers or anyone else at the scene were harmed.

The scary situation could have ended badly, but luckily the story had a peaceful resolution. The female is said to be currently receiving the help she needs.