Sheriff Brian Schenck says that on Monday around 9 p.m. deputies responded to a residence on Rt. 326 in the town of Springport for a domestic incident, which turned into an extended standoff.
Upon arrival deputies determined that Anthony Bertonica, 49, threatened an adult family member with a knife and was in possession of numerous long guns.
At that point he was alone in the residence- and attempts to contact him were met with aggressive behavior, forcing officers to back off and secure the scene.
Sheriff Schenck says the Cayuga County Mobile Crisis Team responded to the scene and attempted for multiple hours to deescalate the situation and secure Bertonica’s voluntary compliance in leaving the residence.
Eventually crisis negotiators with the sheriff’s office took over communication, which continued for several more hours with no progress.
Sheriff Schenck says at that point, the Tactical Response Unit “utilized a number of techniques designated to persuade Bertonica to leave the residence.”
After additional negotiations, he exited the residence without further incident around 4 a.m.
Bertonica was charged with second-degree menacing and was released after arraignment.
The charges will be answered at a later date.
Sheriff Schenck says his office was assisted by the 911 Center, New York State Police, and AMR Ambulance.
