Trump Village Building On Lockdown While Police Standoff With ‘Vietnam Vet’

An entire building in Trump Village was on lockdown for more than three hours Wednesday night while police were in a standoff with a disturbed man on the 16th floor, according to police and witnesses.

The NYPD say they received a call just before 5pm that an emotionally disturbed 69-year-old man had barricaded himself in his apartment at the 23-story building on 3000 Ocean Parkway. Cops swarmed the area and were eventually able to gain access to the apartment and take the man into custody. He was sent to Coney Island Hospital, according to the NYPD.

Police could not confirm the man was armed.

Steven Baker, who lives two floors above the apartment where the standoff took place, said his neighbor was a Vietnam veteran.

“He’s a good man, but he’s sick. He is a Vietnam vet and he has PTSD,” Baker said. “We’ve talked sometimes. He’s polite and curious. We talk about sports.”

Peter Lepore, the building’s director of operations, said police ordered his staff at 6:30pm to shut down the elevators and close all entrances and exits.

“Our objective was to keep the place safe while police went up to his apartment,” Lepore said.

Police also closed Ocean Parkway, between West Brighton Avenue and Ocean View Avenue, for several hours while they tried to take the man into custody.

A crowd of residents gathered on the sidewalk waiting for the police to let them back into the building.

Ivan Sverdlov, who had taken his dog for a walk before he was locked outside, said he had been told the man had thrown objects out onto the street.

“Someone told me he had thrown knives and forks out the window,” Sverdlov said. “We’ve never had anything like this happen here before. It’s curious when it happens in your building.”

Police reopened the building around 9:30pm. Many residents thanked the cops as they walked to the elevators. One person even dropped off a pizza to show their appreciation.