Man hospitalized following standoff

Kendall Park resident taken in for evaluation.

By: Sharlee DiMenichi
   A 45-year-old Kendall Park man was taken to St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick for a psychiatric evaluation after a standoff with police that lasted nearly three hours, Tuesday.
   Police said Clive Leys, who has a history of mental health problems, locked himself in a bedroom of his house on Route 27 near Beekman Road at 11:55 a.m. to avoid caseworkers his wife had called to take him to the hospital’s mental health unit after he stopped taking prescribed psychiatric medicine, said Detective Jim Stoddard of the South Brunswick Police Department.
   Detective Stoddard said Mr. Leys suffers from a schizoaffective disorder and has a history of aggression.
   "He wasn’t acting out violently, but he does have a history of acting out violently. He has an assaultive history," Detective Stoddard said.
   Fifteen officers were called to the scene.
   Mr. Leys did not have a weapon and was alone in the house, where he lives with his wife, Detective Stoddard said. Mr. Leys’ wife was at work when the incident occurred. Detective Stoddard said Mr. Leys showed several symptoms of disturbance.
   "One of the things he has a history of doing when he’s manic is to dress oddly and that’s one of the things he was doing today," Detective Stoddard said.
   Mr. Leys dressed as a clown, destroyed several pieces of his own property and left pots burning on the stove, Detective Stoddard said.
   Detective Sgt. Mark Domino persuaded Mr. Leys to come out of the house and paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hopsital in New Brunswick took him to St. Peter’s for evaluation at about 2:45 p.m., Detective Stoddard said.