FARMINGTON — A woman hit a member of her household with a shovel, then struck her own arm with a hatchet, leading to an armed standoff with police that shut down a local road for eight hours Saturday, police said.
Rebekah Brown, 38, of 422 Farmington Falls Road, was treated at the scene for self-inflicted injuries to her arm, according to a statement released by Farmington police Sgt. Edward Hastings.
Police arrived at the scene about 3 p.m. after being called by a member of the household who reported being hit with a shovel by Brown.
Hastings said Brown retreated into the house, where she had access to a loaded gun and refused to speak with officers for several hours.
Farmington police called a tactical unit, including a crisis negotiation team from the Maine State Police, to the scene. Eventually, Brown surrendered. Police said they recovered the hatchet, a kitchen knife and the firearm from the house.
Farmington Falls Road reopened about 11 p.m., police said.
Police said Brown was taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital for a mental health evaluation and then to Franklin County Correctional Facility, where her bail has been set at $10,000 cash.
Brown was charged with domestic-violence assault and creating a police standoff.
According to Maine’s criminal code, creating a police standoff is a civil violation punishable by restitution of at least $500 to each responding law enforcement agency.
Domestic-violence assault is usually a class D crime, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
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