Man arrested in connection with Cambridge machete attack after 18-hour standoff

A man who allegedly slashed a bystander with machete-type knives in Cambridge Friday night was arrested after an 18-hour standoff, police said.

During the standoff, police even deployed a pepper ball into the man’s unit, which “unfortunately” circulated through the building’s shared ventilation system and affected other apartments, Cambridge police said. Residents of more than 50 units had to evacuate, according to police and Cambridge Day.

“We understand that the use of chemical agents, particularly in shared residential buildings, raises concern,” the police’s update said. “Every use of force by this department is reviewed, and that review is already underway in this case.”

Princiano Faustin, 51, is accused of wielding two knives in Central Square around 6:40 p.m., where he allegedly injured a person’s head, Cambridge police said Saturday. The victim was brought to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

After the alleged attack, police said, officers pursued Faustin towards his apartment building at the intersection of Broadway and Windsor Street. He was allegedly still swinging the knives, refusing to comply with police, and “multiple times yelling that he wanted officers to shoot him,” Cambridge police said.

Officers shot Faustin multiple times with a 40 mm nonlethal weapon as he “made movements” towards a crowded park, police said, but the weapon failed to stop him. Faustin then made it to his building, where he barricaded himself inside his unit, according to an update from police.

Cambridge police worked with crisis negotiators and mental health clinicians to resolve the situation. Officers then deployed a pepper ball through a window at 2 a.m. Saturday after not hearing from Faustin for a long time, the department said.

Around 1 p.m. Saturday, Faustin was placed into custody after police secured an arrest warrant to enter the unit. He will be arraigned in Cambridge District Court on multiple charges at a later date, police said.

At the scene, some evacuated residents of 243 Broadway had turned down hotel rooms or other shelter in favor of getting back into their apartments, according to the Day. One family didn’t have supplies for their infant, and another resident argued with an officer to get back in to rescue his cat, the local outlet reported.

When police deployed the pepper ball, some residents were still inside, the Day reported, and several elderly people and other residents were affected by the gas.

“I vomited so many times,” one resident told the Day’s Marc Levy. “I was trying to push my father’s wheelchair. The police should have notified us.” 

Cambridge police thanked the cooperation of residents and those who evacuated.

“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,” police said. “Our goal is always the preservation of life, the safety of all residents, and the peaceful resolution of dangerous incidents.”

Molly Farrar

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.

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