Police remove Greenfield man from Elm Street house after 6-hour standoff
Published: 05-16-2025 9:31 AM
Modified: 05-17-2025 9:09 AM |
GREENFIELD — After a six-hour police standoff, Franklin County Regional Special Response Team officers apprehended Greenfield resident William Judd, who was alleged to have been armed and barricaded himself in an Elm Street home Friday morning.
According to Greenfield Police Chief Todd Dodge, Judd remained hidden in an attic crawlspace at the 221 Elm St. home, and did not come out of hiding after police filled the space with CS gas, one of the most commonly used tear gases. Judd was taken into custody at approximately 11:30 a.m., after which point police officers began searching the home for a firearm.
“He was up in the attic when they deployed numerous rounds of CS gas to try to get him out. I don’t know how he made it through that, other than the fact that he must have somehow been filtering his breathing up there,” Dodge said. “They had to actually go up and remove him physically from the attic.”
Judd was transported by an American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance to Baystate Franklin Medical Center for evaluation. Dodge said he was likely overheated, dehydrated and irritated from gas exposure.
At approximately 5:45 a.m., resident Chester Bai, of 221 Elm St., said he woke up to find a man with a ski mask and a gun “Army crawling” on his bedroom floor. Bai said a fight ensued and he was able to leave the single-family home and call the police.
“I woke up and I saw this guy Army crawling on my floor,” Bai said outside the Elm Street home. “He hit me, so I hopped up into my wheelchair and I hit him in the back of the neck.”
According to Dodge, Sgt. Emily Rowell-Kanash was the first officer to arrive on Elm Street after Bai called police, and she confirmed she saw what she believed to be a white male wearing red gloves inside the home through a window. The Greenfield Fire Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and Massachusetts State Police also responded.
Law enforcement vehicles lined Elm Street near the intersection with Albert Avenue, flying drones around and, at various points, flying through the home.
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Battering rams could be heard as officers, armed with guns, surrounded the house. Dodge said police were searching the scene for a firearm after Judd was taken to the hospital.
“I heard team members talking about how well the teams are working together, and that’s always a plus. ... We do that often. This is why we train, this is why we blend with each other like that,” Dodge said. “They ended up physically making entry into the crawlspace, at which point they started to see movement, and they located him. At that point, both of our drones were up there. ... Nobody was injured in this and that’s the key.”
“This is a good example of the task force we invest in acting to keep everyone safe,” Public Safety Commission Chair David Moscaritolo said. “They handle things safely and professionally so no one gets hurt.”
Dodge said Judd was known to police officers. Although he is not yet certain what charges the suspect will face, Dodge said Judd will likely be charged with felony breaking and entering in the nighttime and home invasion.
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.