Christmas Carol Brings Standoff To an End in Pennsylvania

It was a tense situation that only Christmas carols had the power to defuse. 

A police standoff in Chester County, Pennsylvania ended peacefully this week after a SWAT negotiator serenaded a man identified as Nathaniel Lewis, 34, who had barricaded himself inside a home with a Christmas carol. 

Police initially responded to the home in East Vincent township Tuesday night, after a family member alerted police about Lewis saying he was behaving erratically. 

Lewis, who is in the process of separating from his wife, is a member of the National Guard and was in possession of a rifle during the barricade situation. Police say Lewis opened fire on police officers who were both inside and outside a SWAT vehicle on-scene. 

The negotiator eventually managed to talk the man into putting down his weapon and surrendering after singing the Christmas carol to Lewis. 

Authorities say the SWAT negotiator managed to talk Lewis down nine hours later by singing "White Christmas." 

"Incidents like this are why our SWAT team trains constantly," said East Vincent Police Chief Matt Williams. "Despite the extreme danger to the police officers, the team responded calmly and professionally, resulting in the eventual surrender of the defendant."

District Attorney Tom Hogan added his praise to the team saying, "The SWAT team members deserve the highest praise for their courage and dedication. While the rest of the world was going to bed after a long Christmas day, our officers were laying their lives on the line for hours in the bitter cold."

Lewis has been charged with several counts of homicide, aggravated assault and other related offenses. He was taken to Chester County Prison. 

Photo: Getty Images