Dartmouth Police Strongly Defend Handling Of Weekend Standoff

Being a cop is a tough job. You have to have thick skin and resist the urge to respond to criticism, especially from folks who don't always have all of the facts. But sometimes, you have to respond to set the record straight.

The Dartmouth Police Department, through its Facebook page, has responded to comments about a standoff Dartmouth police officers were involved in on Saturday, Aug. 20, on Dartmouth Street.

Our news department reported the incident on our station websites, social media and the station's apps.

Dartmouth Police also shared news of the incident on its social media pages and with the traditional media, "in an effort to see if we can obtain any information that could prove useful to us moving forward."

The department's Facebook response to criticism of the standoff says most comments posted about the incident "were, for the most part, positive and supportive," while others suggested the police response was "overkill."

The statement continues: "On this particular day, this young man (Jack Bradford Gifford) put everyone at risk, including himself."

Police say Gifford, who was armed with a knife, "had three outstanding warrants and was wanted by Probation." They say Gifford "carelessly and violently" wielded the weapon toward police officers.

SWAT Team members were called to the scene to defuse the situation. The standoff lasted six hours. Eventually, Gifford exited the home and was taken into custody.

The statement refers to some of the criticism of the way the police handled the situation as "just plain foolish," and suggests, "Most people these days get their perspective on law enforcement from television, movies, press releases and social media, and don't fully understand what a day in our life consists of."

We'd love to hear your opinions on how the police handled this situation as well as the department's response to some critics.