A neighborhood in Elmsford witnessed a rare flurry of activity on Monday night as law enforcement officers swarmed the area, cordoning off Havens Street and filling the usually quiet streets with emergency vehicles.
Elmsford police, along with the Greenburgh police department's SWAT team, were executing a Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order (TERPO) at a residence on the street. The TERPO, designed to prevent potential gun violence, led officers to the home of 37-year-old Michael Blake.
According to Elmsford police officials, Blake had an order of protection filed against him in January, prohibiting him from possessing any weapons. Acting on a tip that Blake might be in possession of firearms, police conducted a search of the residence and recovered one handgun. Blake was subsequently arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal contempt, both misdemeanors.
The raid left residents in the area rattled, with one neighbor, Tina West, expressing surprise at the unusual activity in the typically quiet industrial area.
"Never anything over here, the houses are scattered, there's only three houses on the block, it's an industrial area, everything shuts down after 5 o’clock."
Blake was arraigned and posted his own $1,000 bail. He was released the following morning and is scheduled to appear in Elmsford Village Court on Wednesday.