photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Police take a suspect into custody at Mulford's Tree Service in North Lawrence on Friday, May 30, 2025.

Officers from multiple agencies with a K-9 unit and long guns were investigating an incident at a North Lawrence business on Friday, and a man was handcuffed and taken away in a police van.

Around 5 p.m., eight to 10 officers were at Mulford’s Tree Service, 845 Maple St., in North Lawrence. There were five Lawrence police cars, including a K-9 unit, as well as an unmarked car and a state trooper’s vehicle.

One man was taken into custody, handcuffed and placed in a police van, which left the scene shortly afterward. The van then returned to the scene, and an officer holding a switchblade asked the man who was in custody how to close it. Gloved officers could be seen putting brown paper bags in the back of the K-9 vehicle.

Some of the officers on the scene had long guns, and one was carrying bolt cutters.

The Journal-World has reached out to Lawrence police about the incident. This is a developing story and will be updated.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Police conduct an investigation at Mulford’s Tree Service in North Lawrence on Friday, May 30, 2025.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

An officer carries a long gun at Mulford’s Tree Service in North Lawrence on Friday, May 30, 2025.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Officers load paper bags into the K-9 unit vehicle at Mulford’s Tree Service in North Lawrence on Friday, May 30, 2025.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

An officer asks a suspect how to close a switchblade knife at Mulford’s Tree Service in North Lawrence on Friday, May 30, 2025.