Mount Vernon police officer shoots man barricaded inside apartment

A Mount Vernon police officer shot an armed man after he barricaded himself inside his apartment during a mental health crisis, police said.

Members of the department's Emergency Services Unit responded to a mental health commitment order just before 10 p.m. Thursday.

Officers said the man was armed when they arrived in the area of Columbus Avenue and East Fourth Avenue. The man refused to comply with the court order, according to the department.

Police said they attempted to use non-lethal methods to get the man into custody, to no avail. That's when the man barricaded himself in his apartment.

Hostage negotiators and mental health experts tried to de-escalate the situation, but the man still wouldn't leave, police said. 

Officers obtained a warrant to get into the apartment after "negotiation efforts were exhausted." The man was threatening to harm himself and officers, according to police. 

Once inside, ESU personnel again tried non-lethal force, but ultimately shot him when the man continued to pose a threat, police said. 

He was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated.

The New York State Police is now investigating, which is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.