DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. – A SWAT standoff that prompted evacuations of nearby townhomes and the closure of State Road A1A in Daytona Beach Shores came to a peaceful end early Tuesday after 19 hours, officials said.
Police said a suicidal 36-year-old man who had 10 guns in his home was taken into custody after officers used tear gas to get the man out of his home at The Townhomes At The Oceans on Sea Oats Circle. The man was taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation, police said.
Daytona Beach Shores police Chief Stephan Dembinsky said his department is familiar with the man.
"He's not a criminal, I just think he needs some medical help, and I hope hope he gets it," Dembinsky said.
The standoff began around 5:30 a.m. Monday when neighbors reported hearing the man yelling that he was going to harm himself.
Some nearby homes were evacuated, and police began negotiations with the man.
"We're not going to take him out. We're not going to do anything, but he is controlling the situation right now. He has shown us an assault rifle. All my officers are very nervous about this," Dembinsky said Monday. "The SWAT teams are in place. We want to take him into custody as safely as possible."
Police used several rounds of tear gas to get the man to leave his home.
"His mental condition had deteriorated to where we were really starting to become afraid he was going to hurt himself or others, so we started using some tear gas," Dembinsky said.
Police said the man is being held under the state's Baker Act, and he doesn't face any criminal charges.
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