CRIME
Falls Church barricade ends peacefully
Updated: June 27, 2012 - 08:08 am
Some 28 hours after it began, a stand off between police and a man barricaded inside a Falls Church home has ended.
The standoff reportedly began after a domestic dispute at the home on Hillwood Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Monday. When police arrived, two family members were inside the home, but they were swiftly removed from the home.
The man fired shots, but no one was hurt. Police then began conducting negotiations with the man.
Police say officers soon moved in on the home, knocking out windows and using tear gas to force him out of the home. They also sent a robot inside the home and conducted searches on the second and third floors of the residence.
The non-lethal substance makes the air "unpalatable," WTOP reports.
Despite their efforts, the man stayed inside the home.
Police say the standoff lasted more than a day because police believed the suspect had doused himself and his home in gasoline.
Hillwood Avenue was closed from S. Roosevelt St through Cherry St. due to the barricade, leaving some residents with limited access to their homes.
Others, like Alexandra Roth, just wanted to get a few items and feed pets.
Roth said she knows the man very well.
"It's a life or death thing right now. I think he's probably very frightened," Roth said.
SWAT teams from neighboring came to the scene, working shifts to keep fresh.
Shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday, police were able to get close enough to the suspect to tase him and take him into custody.
He was taken to the hospital and now faces unspecified felony charges.
Resident on Hillwood Avenue can now return home, but police say westbound lanes of the road will be closed as officers continue their investigation.
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