Man, believed to be armed, threatens to burn down home in North Philly barricade
May 08, 2026
A man was taken into police custody, early Friday, officials said, after he barricaded himself inside a North Philly home with his daughter and threatened to burn down the property.
And, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small, as the incident unfolded early Friday, police be
lieved the man may have been armed and had told officers that he was in possession of incendiary devices.
However, as of about 6 a.m., the man was taken into custody and the building was cleared, officials said in a morning update.
No one was injured in the hours long incident, officials said.
How the incident unfolded
In an update, police said the incident began at 11:18 p.m. on Thursday evening at a home located near the intersection of 10th Street and Indiana Avenue in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia.
The 36-year-old man told police he had an explosive device and planned to burn down the home and a barricade was declared at about 12:51 a.m., according to investigators.
Throughout the morning, negotiators talked with the man who had barricaded himself in the home, along with his 15-year-old daughter, officials said. The man allegedly claimed he had firearms and threatened to set fire to the property.
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“He has a history of mental health problems and he’s refusing to exit the property and, the reason we are there is he is making some threats to either set the property on fire or use some kind of incendiary device inside of that property,” Small said.
Both people inside the home, he said, initially refused to exit the building.
Initially, Small said that, according to family members, the man had a history of mental health issues and was known to carry a hammer, machete, an ice pick and knives.
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“We have to really use caution and take our time and negotiate with the individual,” said Small.
Small said that police SWAT teams, hostage negotiators and mental health crisis teams were at the scene early Friday.
As of about 9 a.m., police had not provided further identifying information on the individual involved in this incident, nor did they say if they found any incendiary devices or weapons in the home. They also did not immediately detail what charges the man may face due to the incident.
But, officials said, an investigation into this incident remains ongoing.
NBC10 is working to learn more.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
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