Man arrested after holding wife hostage with butcher knife during standoff at Plymouth home

Plymouth police released body camera video Wednesday that captured a tense standoff where police coaxed an armed man holding his wife and four children hostage inside their home to let them go free.

Police video captured the estranged father armed with a large butcher knife. His wife and four children were inside the home at the time, and the police said the woman was able to call 911.

Law enforcement expert Todd McGhee said in volatile situations such as this, it is important for police to get the suspect to focus on them.

“It’s one of the most violent calls can respond to,” McGhee said. “If you can keep that person of interest, if you can keep them talking, that can maybe interrupt any bad intentions or bad actions.”

Plymouth police said once they arrived at the home, the children were taken to safety, but the man held his wife hostage with a butcher knife.

McGhee said officers would have been in their right to use deadly force in that situation, but after 45 minutes of talking, the man was arrested and his wife was freed.

“They made an assessment that perhaps this person was open to dialogue, open to deescalation, and they took advantage of that opportunity and therefore the best outcome happened,” he said.

The man arrested is expected to receive a mental health evaluation ahead of a dangerousness hearing. He is facing more than a dozen criminal charges.