A three-hour standoff between Arvada police and an armed man ended peacefully Friday afternoon.
About a dozen homes had been evacuated, surrounding 6728 Pierce Way, after the first calls of an armed man came in at 11:30 a.m. The man fired several shots.
At 2:30 p.m., police threw a phone into the home to make contact with the suspect. When he went for the phone, SWAT members broke through the door and took him into custody. “We didn’t fire a shot,” Arvada police spokeswoman Susan Medina said.
The man, whose name has not been released, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, involving an incident with a girlfriend.
SWAT officers responded to the incident with two armored vehicles, evacuating neighbors near the house.
“It was pretty crazy stuff,” said Anthony Cisneros, 21, who lives next door. “The SWAT guys came in with their shields and then took us out of here.”
Pam Vincent, who has lived in the area for 15 years, said she has never seen anything quite like the overwhelming response.
“I looked out my window, and this tank is rolling by,” she said. “It’s usually a very quiet neighborhood. This is certainly the most excitement we’ve had around here.”
Cisneros said he was in his front yard taking down Christmas lights when he heard gunshots.
“I started hearing all these bang noises, and I wasn’t sure what was going on,” he said.
On the west-facing side of the house, a window was cracked with at least two small holes. Officers also searched an area west of the house across the street.
Cisneros said he knew the man who was shooting as Chris. He said the man had lived in the house for about three years and had a daughter. “I’m just glad he did not hurt anyone or hurt himself,” Cisneros said. “I’m just surprised by all this. He was a nice guy.”
