Physicist Taken For Evaluation After Standoff

More than 32 armed SWAT officers, along with various other local and federal authorities, descended on 704 Warwick Road, across from , during an overnight standoff.

The 54-year-old man, who was known by police to have a large amount of weapons, was unclothed when taken into custody by members of the Bucks County South Central Emergency Response Team, according to Falls Township Police Lt. Hand Ward.

The standoff began Tuesday night when the man, who owns the home, became upset that his live-in girlfriend was attempting to get him help for mental health issues. She considered the highly-educated chemical engineer and former college professor a danger to himself and others after she found him mixing chemicals used to make explosive devices -- that's when she called police, a source told Patch.

Falls police arrived at about 10 p.m. and tried to talk the man out of the rundown house, but attempts failed. The SWAT team and trained negotiators arrived shortly after midnight. They used a bullhorn to communicate to the man he needed to come out, Ward said.

Police finally got in touch with the man via phone and at about 4 a.m. Wednesday he came to the front door -- naked and refusing to exit the residence. SWAT team members then descended on the home and took the man into custody while he was at the front door, Ward said about the decision.

"Once we had him at the door, we didn't want him going back in the house and grabbing a weapon," Ward said.

Mike Latronica, who lives across from where the standoff took place, said the former professor was quiet and never talked to neighbors. He adds, during the standoff his family hid in the basement, but he watched the action unfold from a window.

About 20 homes surrounding 704 Warwick were evacuated during the standoff.

Jacob Katz, who lives next to the home where the standoff was unfolding, was evacuated for several hours to the parking lot of nearby Pennsbury High School.

After the man was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, police notified officials that the high school was in no immediate danger and was clear to open as scheduled, Ward reported.

Due to fears the man was manufacturing explosives the Philadelphia Police Department's Bomb Squad was called in and searched the house -- deeming it safe shortly after 9 a.m., Ward said.

The physicist had all the chemicals necessary to build a bomb in his house, but had not put them together, said Ward.

"The threat was there. This individual goes up to the line but hasn't crossed it, yet," Ward said.

Police investigators, members of the Department of Homeland Security and officials from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took four handguns, 10 assault weapons and 20,000 rounds of ammunition from the home this morning, Ward said.

From previous contact with the 54-year-old man police said they believed he had several automatic weapons. It was later discovered the man lost his special permit to have the guns and they were previously confiscated by ATF agents, according to Ward.

As of late Tuesday, the man remains at a local hospital undergoing a mental evaluation and has not yet been charged with any crimes. Authorities have not yet released the man's name.