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A Bergen County Regional SWAT team joined local officers during the Maple Avenue standoff, which ended when Osvaldo Salas-Kechichian, 44, was taken into custody shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday, nearly three hours after it began, Ridgefield Deputy Chief Robert Meurer said.
His roommate had come to headquarters earlier to report that Salas-Kechichian threw his belongings outside and threatened him with a knife, Meurer said.
Salas-Kechichian, who was known to have several knives, came to the door of their basement apartment carrying a large knife and "what appeared to be a large grenade in his front pocket," the deputy chief said.
He refused to cooperate, so borough police established a perimeter, evacuated nearby homes and summoned the SWAT team to join them and their colleagues from Palisades Park and Leonia, he said.
Salas-Kechichian went in and out of the house several times while a borough officer maintained communication with him through a locked glass door, Meurer said.
"He was uncooperative and hostile" and "made some statements that concerned the officers," he said.
Inside the apartment was Salas-Kechichian's 12-year-old daughter.
"It wasn't a hostage situation," Meurer said. "She didn't want to leave because she was concerned for his welfare."
Eventually, Salas-Kechichian was coaxed out of the apartment and arrested. His daughter was turned over to her mother.
The apartment was searched and the Bergen County Bomb Squad took the grenade, which turned out to be inert, Meurer said.
Salas-Kechichian was sent for an evaluation at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. Police charged him with making terroristic threats, weapons possession, obstruction and disorderly conduct.
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