Thornton – A man who police say assaulted his girlfriend and then barricaded himself in his house for more than 26 hours surrendered peacefully Monday night.
SWAT officers who had surrounded the home Sunday night were called off after police re-evaluated the situation, a spokesman said.
“We’re just going to wait him out,” officer Matt Barnes said before the end of the standoff. “They re-examined the situation and modified their tactics based on the threat level.”
The tactics worked. Gregory Scott Tagaris, 43, walked out of the house and peacefully surrendered to Thornton police shortly after 8 p.m.
He was taken into custody for investigation of felony menacing and assault.
Several residents in the 10900 block of Elm Drive who had been evacuated were allowed to return home before the standoff ended – though they had to walk in with a police escort and were asked to stay indoors.
The problem began Sunday evening when a woman left the home and told neighbors the man inside – her boyfriend – had assaulted her. She called police from a neighbor’s home and was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
When officers tried to contact the man, he stayed in the home. Police had been reluctant to enter the home because they feared he had weapons, Barnes said.
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
