Butler police Tuesday arrested a man on charges he disconnected a natural gas line in his home last week during an apparent suicide threat.

Leo R. Mullen, 47, was arraigned on a felony charge of risking a catastrophe. He also is charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.

Police went to his single-story rental house in the 500 block of Bredin Street about 6 p.m. Nov. 19 after being notified that he was attempting to harm himself.

Officers got there and smelled natural gas coming from inside the home.

Authorities checked the house and found that Mullen had disconnected the gas line from the stove. All the windows and doors were closed.

Officers took Mullen into custody, and he was reportedly taken to an undisclosed mental health facility.

The Butler Fire Department was called to help in the potentially dangerous situation.

“We were called in case the house blew up or to prevent the house from blowing up,” said Fire Chief Nick Ban.

Firefighters shut off the gas at the meter and opened the windows from the outside.

Ban said the suspect’s actions not only placed his life in jeopardy but possibly neighbors at homes next door.

“Had there been a spark or if someone had flipped on a light switch,” he said, “that could have caused the house to explode.”

He noted that there was no evacuation because the closest neighbors, it turned out, were not home.

Mullen, who was arraigned by District Judge Pete Shaffer, was released pending further court action.