By Madina Toure
An emotionally disturbed teenager is currently undergoing evaluation at the Long Island Jewish Hospital after he barricaded himself in his bedroom at his Whitestone home and threatened to harm himself Thursday afternoon, police said.
At about 12:04 p.m., police officers received a report about an 18-year-old male who had barricaded himself in his bedroom of his home on 17th Avenue and Utopia Parkway, according to a police spokesman.
At about 1:34 p.m. Thursday, the 109th Precinct put out an alert on its official Twitter account about the situation, urging residents to stay away from the area.
“Utopia Pkwy between 16 Rd & 19 Ave is closed due to an investigation,” the tweet read. “Please avoid area.”
He was taken into custody by the police at about 3:23 p.m. Thursday and has not been charged. He was removed to Long Island Jewish Hospital for evaluation, the spokesman said.
The teen claimed that he had a gun but had actually had a microphone and an MP3 player, which he joined together using a strap or a belt to create an object that could be perceived as a handgun, the spokesman noted.
The spokesman said he was threatening to harm himself and his actions put himself and first responders in a potentially dangerous situation.
The teen told police that his mother was home at the time of the incident, the spokesman added.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
