VESTAL, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Multiple first responders were sent to the Town Square Mall on Friday after a report was made of a bleeding man outside of the Burlington Coat Factory.

Just after 6 p.m. on October 6, Vestal Police arrived at the scene after receiving reports of a male walking around noticeably bleeding from his neck. Officers located the man in front of the Burlington Coat Factory and noticed he was bleeding from other areas of his body as well. They also discovered he was in possession of a razor blade and called for more officers to respond.

Officers engaged the man in conversation while those inside of the store were evacuated.

A negotiation then ensued for over three hours until the man agreed to put down the razor blade and be evaluated by medical personnel. During the negotiation, police say the man exhibited signs of suffering from a mental health crisis, often speaking to voices he was hearing. The man requested to speak with a counselor who was brought to the scene and assisted police with the negotiation.

The individual is a 47-year-old male from Binghamton. He was taken by Vestal EMTs to a local hospital for evaluation. His injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Three of the Vestal officers on the scene are state certified crisis negotiators who used their specialized training to help bring this incident to a safe conclusion. No members of the public were in danger during the incident and the incident had no apparent connection to the store.