Man fired shots at SWAT Team, robotic dog during Hyannis standoff, police say
HYANNIS - A man was arrested after allegedly firing at SWAT Team members and a robotic dog during a seven-hour standoff in Hyannis on Wednesday. The standoff prompted an evacuation of residents and several schools to go into lockdown.
Barnstable Police were called to a house on St. Francis Circle just after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police received a report that the suspect, 30-year-old Justin Moreira, was holding his mother at knifepoint.
When officers arrived, they were able to evacuate his mother and two other people out of a window. Moreira remained in the home and the Cape Cod Regional SWAT team was called in.
Police ordered a "shelter in place" for anyone within a mile of the house and nearby homes were evacuated.
Police say negotiators and a mental health clinician tried to convince Moreira to come out of the home peacefully, but he allegedly opened fire on SWAT officers and a ballistic vehicle with a rifle and a handgun.
State Police deployed a robotic dog into the home to locate Moreira. Police say he shot the robot, partially disabling it. A form of pepper spray was also used, but Moreira would not leave the home, according to police.
The SWAT Team eventually took Moreira into custody after using a ballistic vehicle with a demolition tool attached to it.
Moreira is charged with several counts of attempted murder. He will be arraigned on Thursday in Barnstable District Court.
Five schools in Barnstable were part of the "shelter in place" order. Students were released for the day on time.