(January 15, 2005, initial post) -- LBPD SWAT offices put an end to a dangerous situation in NLB today, ending hours of fruitless negotiations with a barricaded man by using tear gas to prompt his surrender and bringing a woman and two children out of the ordeal unharmed.
LBPD Public Information Officer Nancy Pratt told LBReport.com that the situation began at roughly 10:45 a.m. with a report of a man with a gun...which escalated into a barricaded suspect allegedly holed up with a woman and two children.
LBPD activated its SWAT unit -- on the heels of a separate six hour NLB SWAT deployment which ended barely two hours earlier (details below).
L.A. media began assembling on scene. LBPD negotiators made contact with the suspect and urged him to surrender. At the same time, LBPD began evacuating residents nearby and got them to safety. Nearby Houghton Park rec center was made available to those affected.
LBPD set up a Command Post near 60th and Linden. At roughly 4:45 p.m., we heard several loud "bangs" from down the block.
Within minutes, PIO Pratt told us that LBPD had used tear gas and the suspect surrendered. The woman and children were reportedly OK.
The suspect, not immediately identified as we post, was taken into custody on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and child endangerment.
In a separate incident which LBPD believes is unrelated, LBPD SWAT and multiple police units responded following a 3:15 a.m. call involving gunshots in the 6900 block of LB Blvd.
About 75 residents of two apartment buildings were evacuated. No arrests were made immediately but LBPD's violent crime unit is pursuing the matter. No one was injured and the area returned to normal about 9:00 a.m.
Further to follow as newsworthy. Check back with this page, click reload or refresh on your browser for any updated text.