An armed standoff at a home on Ferry Street in Everett ended Wednesday night with a suspect taken into custody, after the person allegedly threatened to hurt another individual before officers arrived, according to police. Everett police called in a SWAT team and crisis negotiators, who worked to de-escalate the situation before it turned violent. No injuries were reported by the time the standoff ended.
As first reported by WCVB Boston, officers responded to the home on the 14 Ferry Street after receiving word that an armed individual inside had threatened another person. The outlet reports that Everett police leaned on SWAT and negotiators to try to talk the suspect down rather than force a confrontation.
North Metro SWAT Team Takes Suspect Into Custody
In an official update posted Thursday, the Everett Police Department confirmed that the suspect was ultimately taken into custody by the regional North Metro SWAT Team, the tactical unit called in to resolve the standoff. The update did not add further detail on how the arrest unfolded inside the Ferry Street home.
North Metro SWAT is a shared tactical unit made up of officers from Everett, Chelsea and Revere, according to the Chelsea Police Department, which formally joined the regional partnership in June 2025. The arrangement lets the three communities pool specialized personnel and equipment for high-risk calls like Wednesday's barricade rather than each department maintaining its own standalone team.
Chief Strong Warned Residents to Stay Clear of Ferry Street
Before the arrest, Everett Police Chief Paul Strong issued a public safety warning telling residents to avoid Ferry Street, saying the individual inside was believed to be armed and dangerous and had made threats to harm another person before officers arrived, according to an Everett Police Department post. The advisory reflected standard protocol for active barricade situations, in which officers clear surrounding streets while negotiators attempt to make contact with the person inside.
What Charges Could Follow
Whatever charges are ultimately filed will hinge on what investigators determine happened inside the home. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 275, Section 2, threatening to commit a crime against a person is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or a $100 fine. But brandishing a firearm or another dangerous weapon during an incident like this one can elevate the charge to a felony assault with a dangerous weapon under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 15B, which carries up to five years in state prison or two and a half years in a house of correction.
Prosecutors pursuing a threats charge also face a higher bar than they once did. Following the Supreme Judicial Court's December 2024 decision in Commonwealth v. Cruz, Massachusetts model jury instructions now require prosecutors to prove a defendant was consciously aware of, or consciously disregarded, a substantial risk that their words would be perceived as threatening, according to Mass.gov.
A Department Fresh Off State Certification
The standoff arrives just months after the Everett Police Department earned full Certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, following a review that measured compliance with 178 operational and safety standards, the city announced in June. Chief Strong, who took command of the department in July 2024 after 35 years on the Everett force, succeeded longtime chief Steven Mazzie, who led the department for two decades, according to Advocate News.
Part of a String of Recent Everett Police Responses
Regional SWAT negotiators have talked suspects down before in Everett; department records cite a September 2013 standoff on Calhoun Avenue in which a suspect who had fired shots ultimately surrendered peacefully after communicating with negotiators. Wednesday's incident also comes amid a stretch of heightened police activity in the city, which last month investigated a critical shooting on Broadway Street that left a man fighting for his life.
Key questions remain unanswered. The station's report notes that police had not named the suspect, specified what weapon, if any, was involved, or confirmed what charges would be pursued as of Thursday. Records from Malden District Court, once available, could clarify how the case proceeds.
