Westbrook police thwarted what they described as an attempted “suicide-by-cop” when they were able to take a 30-year-old man into protective custody Monday night.

Police were called to 213 Brown St. at 11:15 p.m. for a report of a suicidal man armed with a knife.

“The male was demanding that officers shoot him while repeatedly cutting himself in the neck and arms,” said Capt. Sean Lally in an press release about the incident. Officers tried to negotiate with the man, but at one point he advanced on officers with the knife in an overt attempt to be shot, police said.

Officers used Tasers to disable the man and were able to take him into protective custody without shooting him. The man was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.

“Throughout the encounter the officers showed an enormous amount of restraint and professionalism,” Lally said, noting that all four officers involved have received Crisis Intervention Training from NAMI Maine, the national alliance on mental illness, and used the training during the incident.