Nine people are in custody Saturday morning during a standoff with a group of armed men who were encountered by a trooper who stopped to assist two vehicles in the breakdown lane on Interstate 95 in Wakefield Saturday morning, State Police said.
Police had announced two arrests during a press conference just after 8 a.m. The remaining arrests were reported in a subsequent statement.
Police are now conducting sweeps of their two vehicles and the nearby woods, according to the statement, released at 10:30 a.m.
Law enforcement has established a “hard perimeter” surrounding them, and police are negotiating with the men, State Police Colonel Christopher Mason said during the press conference.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to resolve this peacefully,” Mason said. “Time is our ally in this, and we will certainly use that.”
Mason said the men, who were armed with long guns and handguns and dressed in tactical gear, told the trooper they were traveling from Rhode Island to Maine for “training.”
Asked what the group’s demands were, Mason said, “I think that’s something the negotiators are talking about with them as we speak.”
The incident began unfolding at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday when a state trooper stopped to assist two vehicles in the breakdown lane and encountered a group of eight to 10 men in military-style gear. They were in the process of refueling their vehicles, Mason said.
Some had long rifles, he said. “Some had sidearms, pistols. Some had a combination of both,” Mason said.
The trooper requested their “driver’s license status” and asked them to produce gun licenses. They indicated they did not have them or did not have them with them, Mason said.
The trooper called for backup, and State Police and local police responded.
Negotiators are talking to the group’s members, some of whom have remained near the vehicles, while others have gone into the woods, Mason said. The two men arrested were found in the woods, he said, and one of them was armed.
“Our negotiators are in contact with the individuals and the self-professed leader wants it very much known that their ideology is not anti-government,” Mason said. “I think the investigation that follows from this interaction will provide us more insight into what their motivation, what their ideology is.”
Mason said it was against the law to carry a gun, loaded or unloaded, on a public way in Massachusetts.
He applauded the lone trooper’s approach to the situation, saying he had reviewed some of his body camera footage.
“I have to applaud the actions of the trooper — very patient, very understanding with them, very adept at de-escalation. And so I’m confident that that mindset and methodology will permeate the entire negotiation that we have with these individuals, and we’ll be able to successfully resolve this. And we look forward to doing that,” he said.
North and south lanes on I-95 are shut down between Lynnfield and Stoneham, and officials are urging travelers to avoid the area.
Residents in the areas of Parker Road, Elm Street, and North Avenue in Wakefield are being advised to shelter in place. Additionally, residents in the area of Ash Street and Parker Road in Reading are being asked to shelter in place. Stoneham residents are not being asked to shelter in place, but are advised to use caution and avoid areas near I-95.
Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com. John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.
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I-95 shut down, two suspects arrested in standoff - The Boston Globe
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