Man facing charges after standoff

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PROSPECT — A 44-year-old Prospect man was charged last week after a two-hour standoff with police at his home.

The incident played out March 30 at 159 Summit Road. Police responded to the house at about 1:40 p.m. for a report of a suicidal man who barricaded himself inside the home. Police said the man’s wife told officers she received a text from him stating that he was going to kill himself. She told police he was depressed and intoxicated, and had a loaded shotgun in the home.

Police said state troopers established a perimeter around the house and contacted the man, identified as Michael Russo, who lives at the home. Police reported Russo refused to cooperate, yelled he wanted police to shoot him and threw beer bottles at officers.

After about two hours, police said, Russo came out through the garage with a beer bottle in his hand and started walking toward the road. Russo dropped the bottle, police said, but continued to walk to the end of the driveway and ignored commands from officers to stop and get on the ground.

Trooper First Class Jeffrey Poach used his Taser on Russo and Trooper First Class John Naples deployed his police dog, Ido, to get Russo to comply, police reported. Russo was taken into custody and treated on the scene before being transported to St. Mary’s Hospital.

The shotgun and ammunition were seized, police said, and surrendered voluntarily by Russo.

Russo was charged with interfering with an officer, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening. He was arraigned in Waterbury Superior Court last week. According to online judicial records, Russo was released on a promise to appear following his arraignment. He is scheduled to appear in court again April 29.