CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Princiano Faustin, 51, of Cambridge, has been taken into custody after police resolved an 18-hour standoff inside the apartment building where he resides at the intersection of Broadway and Windsor Street.
According to police, the incident began around 6:40 p.m. on Friday, when officers first interacted with Faustin, who was swinging two large machete-type knives around at a bus stop.
Faustin slashed a bystander in the head, who was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, which led the police to engage in an on-foot pursuit. Officers shouted verbal commands to Faustin, who continued to swing the knives and refused the commands, shouting back multiple times for officers to shoot him.
Faustin made his way towards a crowded park, police attempted to stop him by using a 40MM Less-Than-Lethal Launcher, which failed to stop him despite striking him multiple times. Faustin then made his way to his apartment.
An 18-hour standoff ensued, and despite efforts to resolve the situation peacefully, utilizing the expertise of crisis negotiators and mental health professionals, officers resorted to deploying a pepper ball at approximately 2 a.m.
The deployment of the pepper ball, intended to encourage the suspect’s surrender, inadvertently affected more than the intended unit due to the building’s shared ventilation system. Despite this, the suspect did not surrender.
“We understand that the use of chemical agents, particularly in shared residential buildings, raises concern,” Cambridge police said. “Every use of force by this department is reviewed, and that review is already underway in this case. While we support the difficult decisions made by officers in real time under stressful and unpredictable circumstances, we also recognize that we must continuously evaluate our tactics — especially when vulnerable community members are impacted."
After securing an arrest warrant and ensuring all legal protocols were followed, officers made entry and safely apprehended the individual, identified as Faustin, shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Officers remained on scene to gather evidence and continue their investigation. Police say that all nearby roadways have been reopened to normal traffic, and the remainder of the building has been reopened to residents.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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