A township man who barricaded himself inside his home in the 600 block of Vernon Street has been taken into custody without injury to himself or others.

Police were dispatched Friday to the Vernon Street residence for a psychiatric emergency at 1:35 p.m. The initial call indicated the man was hearing voices and he was threatening to shoot children with a shotgun.

Police immediately contacted the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District to alert transportation personnel of the police activity to ensure afternoon drop-offs were diverted from the area.

Additionally, responding members of the Central Delaware County Emergency Response Team sealed off the area as negotiators contacted the man by phone.

At 3:05 p.m., the man surrendered without incident. No weapon was found following a search of the home.

The man was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.

“Law enforcement officers handled this tense situation in a professional manner and brought the incident to a peaceful conclusion. The individual involved was transported to the crisis center to receive the medical attention he needs,” Chief David Splain said.  

The incident remains under investigation by the Nether Providence Police Department.