SAN DIEGO — A standoff in Carlsbad ended Friday morning after 16 hours when a man armed with a gun, threatened to hurt himself and refused to surrender.
Authorities said the suspect is not facing any criminal charges at this time.
"There is no criminal aspect to this at all. It was purely a mental health issue. He will be taken for a mental health evaluation," Lt. Lawton said.
“We would like to thank our community for their patience and for avoiding the area so we could bring this difficult situation to a peaceful conclusion,” said Carlsbad Police Chief Mickey Williams. “This incident really shows the value of de-escalation training, especially related to people who may be having a mental health crisis.”
According to police, the incident started around 7:15 p.m. Thursday at the 2700 block of Loker Avenue West, near Palomar Airport Road.
Police said the man was inside his vehicle when he called a device in his car, similar to OnStar. Staff then contacted officers. Because the man spoke Russian, officers called in a translator.
"He's been armed the entire time," Lt. Shaun Lawton. "He has a handgun he's been holding to his own head throughout the duration of this incident."
According to Lt. Lawton, communication with the man has been challenging.
Around 10:30 a.m., a deacon and priest were transported to the area to try and talk to the man.
Armored vehicles are at the scene. An FBI negotiation team as well as Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) officers are working with police to try and resolve the situation peacefully.
"So far, there haven't been threats other than the obvious fact he's holding a gun to his head," said Lt. Lawton. "It's been very difficult to communicate with him because of the language barrier, the third parties involved, and he's not giving us a lot of information. Over the course of the night, there hasn't been any progression as far as negotiations are concerned."
Businesses on Loker Avenue West from Palomar Airport Road to 2762 Loker Avenue West were closed out of an abundance of caution. Carlsbad Police have also temporarily closed Loker Avenue West from Palomar Airport Road to El Fuerte Street while officers respond.
The street is blocked off and drivers are urged to avoid the area.