Syracuse man opts for prison over mental health facility in
resolving fake grenade case  on August 24, 2012 at 10:49 AM,
updated August 24, 2012 at 11:17 AM  Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse
man was sentenced today to the maximum penalty of four years in
state prison for holding police at bay with a fake grenade at
the group home for people with mental health issues where he
lived.  "I'm sorry about what I did," Evan Edwardsen told County
Judge Anthony Aloi.  Edwardsen, 28, had pleaded "not responsible
by reason of mental disease or defect" April 24 to a felony
charge of second-degree placing a false bomb or hazardous
substance.  He was accused of having an inert grenade in his
possession at Homestead of CNY Services, an efficiency apartment
building in the 200 block of Wyoming Street, late the night of
Aug. 8, 2011. His conduct touched off a 10-hour standoff with
police before authorities fired tear gas into Edwardsen's
apartment and took him into custody.  Police discovered the
grenade Edwardsen was threatening to