PATTON TOWNSHIP — An incident involving a man who had access to weapons and was experiencing what police called an emotional crisis at a residence on Vairo Boulevard was resolved Thursday without injuries.

Patton Township police were alerted via a 911 call about concerns for the well-being of a man at 10 Vairo Blvd. around 9 a.m. The situation led to an evacuation of nearby apartments.

At about 3:15 p.m., contact was made with the man, whom Patton Township Police Chief John Petrick described as a Penn State student in his 20s. The man was then taken into custody and transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center for evaluation.

A woman in her 20s, who Petrick said was a friend of the man’s, was also at the residence during the incident. Petrick said police interviewed her, but he didn’t provide details about what she said.

A search of the residence was conducted but the police didn’t release information on what they found. Vairo Boulevard was reopened at 4:10 p.m. after access to it had been limited.

More than 20 officers from Patton, Ferguson and Spring townships, Bellefonte and State College police departments, the Centre County crisis response team, negotiators and a tactical EMS team responded to the Vairo Village apartment complex.

Residents in the area were contacted by emergency responders and asked to evacuate their apartments until the incident was resolved, according to police.

Dan Ondike, a resident of Vairo Village, was home during incident and noticed the activity outside. He said he saw armed officers in SWAT gear with guns entering separate buildings in the housing complex.

“I just saw a bunch of cops outside my window with guns drawn,” he said. “I had no prior notification.”

Lindsey Blystone, also a resident of Vairo Village, went for a walk but when she tried to go back home, police wouldn’t let her in. She said she had to wait for almost five hours before she was able to return home.  

Gail Timsina said she left her building and wasn’t allowed to return. She said there were two police officers in sniper gear with rifles in front of her apartment, but she hadn’t heard any shots fired when she left.

“I baby-sit a 9-year-old and she’s scared,” Timsina said at the time. “It’s scary.”