On December 18th, 2022 at 2:30 p.m, a man drove onto the lawn of the Cohasset police station and ran into the station with a chainsaw. There was a volunteer attendant at the desk that barricaded herself in an office. After attempting and failing to cut down the door of that office, the man hurried back to his house. The desk attendant was not injured, only in shock. 

This man was Brien Buckley, age 35. He has a criminal record and was known by the C.P.D. already. Buckley barricaded himself inside his house with his two children—both below five years of age— after returning from the police station.  

Furthermore, Polief Chief, Bill Quigley, ordered a lock-in-place for the area a quarter of a mile around Buckley’s house. Negotiators, SWAT, and around 40 police officers were present. Junior Rachel Patel comments: “My friend from Cohasset was in the area where the lock-in-place was. I also was very confused when I saw and heard countless cop cars going past my house and I wondered where they were all going.” 

During this standoff, Buckley dangled his kids out the window in a threatening manner. Once the kids were back inside this house, an hour and a half passed where there was no word from the kids or how they were doing. Worried, Chief Quigley decided to enter the home when Buckley was distracted and talking with negotiators through the second story window. 

The situation was somewhat resolved peacefully; Buckley was arrested with force after resisting his arrest. Additionally, his two toddlers were not injured and were reunited with their mother.

With concern for his mental state, officers transported Buckley to the nearest hospital —in custody— for a mental evaluation. A few days later, after his trial, he was charged with child endangerment, damage of property, assault, and for not cooperating with his own arrest. No option for bail will be given. 

In conclusion, in an interview with Boston 25 news, Buckley’s neighbor Paul Brady summed up the general feelings of the South Shore. He said he was “extremely concerned… a quiet neighborhood and things like this just don’t happen. It is a really odd set of circumstances right now.”