An eight-hour standoff in Broomfield that led to evacuation of an apartment building on Tuesday evening ended with Shane Potts, forgery and fraud suspect, in custody.
Potts has a lengthy criminal record that includes driving while intoxicated, possession of a weapon by an ex-offender, posession of a forged instrument, and vehicle theft.
The incident started about noon when someone reported a fraud or forgery suspect was at an apartment at 8450 Arista Place, police said in a release Wednesday.
About 3 p.m. police received information that the suspect had a gun. When officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, he refused to speak to them, the release said.
Police issued a lockout notification to neighboring businesses and told residents to shelter in place. Officers escorted business patrons away from the immediate area to ensure their safety.
The apartment house where Potts, 42, was holed up was evacuated.
“He talks, we negotiate with him awhile, he gets ticked off and he stops talking,” Broomfield Sgt. Steve Griebel, at about 8:30 p.m., as SWAT trucks and police cars maintained a perimeter around the unit.
Several roads in the area were cordoned off by the standoff, making it difficult to get to the nearby 1st Bank Center, where Ellie Goulding performed Tuesday night.
Drivers in the area and people going to the concert were told to expect traffic delays.
Police assisted patrons wanting to leave nearby Children’s Hospital Colorado Therapy Care, 8401 Arista Place, according to a police department Twitter post.
At 8:02 p.m. police, on Twitter, said residents evacuated from the nearby apartment building “may not return home” but could go to a nearby hotel “if needed.”
“After eight hours of negotiations the suspect was taken into custody without incident,” the release said.
Potts, who had a loaded firearm at the time of his arrest, was taken to the Broomfield Detention facility. He faces multiple charges, including domestic violence.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or @dpmcghee
