From the Herald Express January 18, 2016 -
" POLICE are involved in a standoff in Princetown this morning after a man has allegedly barricaded himself into a property with a knife and gas canisters.
Police were called to a disturbance at a property in Oakery Crescent near the Two Bridges Road at around 7.25am.
Residents living in the area were evacuated by police at about 8.30am today and riot vans turned up at 10am.
Armed response vehicles, paramedics and firefighters are also at the scene and a negotiator has been speaking to the man involved. The man is believed to be threatening to set his house on fire."
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"UPDATE: Man in Princetown siege smashes through roof as police keep negotiating -
THE MAN at the centre of a standoff in Princetown has now smashed a hole through the roof and is sitting on the chimney pot.
Police were called to a disturbance at a property in Oakery Crescent near the Two Bridges Road at around 7.25am after a man allegedly barricaded himself in the property with a knife and gas canisters.
Residents living in the area were evacuated by police at about 8.30am today and riot vans turned up at 10am.
Police have been negotiating with the man for several hours but the man has since smashed through the roof and is now sitting on the chimney. At one stage police had been allegedly trying to get the man's attention by throwing stones at the window.
Armed response vehicles, paramedics and firefighters are also at the scene and a negotiator has been speaking to the man involved.
A police spokesman said: "We were called to a disturbance in Oakery Crescent at 7.25am. Fire crews and ambulance crews were also called.
"We have set up a 100m cordon around the property. "Police are concerned for the welfare of a man within the property and a police unit and negotiator are currently at the scene.
"ARV units are on scene and neighbouring properties have been evacuated as police continue to talk with the man.
"The incident is ongoing."
One eyewitness, a resident in the street, said:: "At 8am there was a lot of police activity going on and then at 8.30am all the residents got evacuated out of the area.
"We were told a man had barricaded himself into his flat with a knife and gas cannisters.
"Residents went to stay with family and friend or at the local pub."
The police spokesman would not confirm whether the man had barricaded himself into his flat with a knife and gas cannisters."
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"LATEST: Armed siege in Princetown ends after 10 hour standoff -
POLICE have detained a man who barricaded himself in his house allegedly armed with a knife and gas cannisters after a day long stand-off
The siege of the male who punched a hole through his own roof in Princetown on Dartmoor and climbed onto it in just his slippers ended after 10 hours at 5.37pm on Monday afternoon.
Police had initially been called to Oakery Crescent, near Two Bridges Road, at 7.25am on Monday morning where the male was threatening to set his house on fire and was brandishing a knife.
After the male had made his way to the roof later in the afternoon, police were able to get the man onto a cherry picker and detain him at around 5:37pm this evening.
A police spokesman said that the incident has now ended: "The man on the roof in Oakery Crescent, has been brought down safely by a cherry picker and detained by officers." "
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There was also coverage in a number of other sources:
Mid-Devon Advertiser - (
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Pirate FM radio - (
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The Plymouth Herald - (
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ITV local TV news - (
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The only sign of the event now is the slightly newer tiles on the roof where he broke through, which I am sure will become less noticeable in a few short months.