Hatboro man in custody, pointed gun at drivers, police say
HATBORO, Pa. (CBS) -- A nearly 14-hour standoff in Hatboro ended peacefully Wednesday. Roads are back open and a shelter in place order has been lifted.
Police and SWAT teams had a 35-year-old male suspect's apartment surrounded before he was removed before 12 p.m.
The man is in custody after police said he was pointing a gun at drivers Tuesday night.
Police said the man was not responding to officers.
"Throughout the night, we did deploy tear gas to try to get him out and that was completely unsuccessful," Hatboro Police Chief James Gardner said.
The man was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation and is expected to be charged. Police are searching the man's apartment.
Around 9:17 p.m., police received a call about the man, who was standing on the sidewalk in the first block of North York Road.
The driver saw the armed man pointing the gun at another driver, Gardner said.
"She told us she observed this individual standing against the building actually tracking her with what she said was a gun in his hand," the police chief said.
Officers made contact with the man and he then ran into an apartment that police believe is his.
The man then barricaded in a unit of the building for several hours.
Then a shelter in place order went into effect "out of an abundance of caution," Gardner said.
Nearby residents were told to shelter in place Wednesday as police responded to the incident. Police attempted to negotiate with the suspect but he was not responsive, Gardner said.
"We've tried with negotiators, we've tried hailing them on loudspeakers, we've used drones that we've tried to contact him with," Gardner said.
Multiple SWAT teams were out at the scene: the Montgomery County team overnight and then a team from Bucks County came in relief, Gardner said Wednesday morning.
No shots were fired during the incident.
As police responded to the incident, the Hatboro-Horsham School District announced Wednesday morning that all schools and offices would be closed.
District officials said the closures were for students' safety.
"Students and staff at all levels reside near the incident, walk to bus stops in the area, and/or were directed to shelter-in-place in their homes," Superintendent Scott Eveslage wrote in an update to parents.
"I understand the relative proximity to the start of the school day made the timing of this decision particularly challenging and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused," Eveslage wrote.
District schools will be back open on Thursday, March 16. Counseling will be available for students who were impacted by the incident.
Multiple roads in the area were closed during the standoff, but traffic was flowing again following the suspect's capture.
There are many small businesses in the area, which is in the heart of Hatboro's business district. Some buildings on the block have residences or apartments on the upper levels.
The man is expected to be charged with making terroristic threats and assault.
A motive is still unclear.
