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Man arrested after 10 hour standoff in Tucson

Posted at 9:30 AM, Jan 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-06 22:38:05-05

A man who threatened to detonate his recreational vehicle outside a Tucson police substation was arrested after a nearly 10-hour standoff Wednesday in which he showed officers a can of gasoline and a hammer and said he had propane tanks and guns.

Police didn't immediately identify the man, who they first encountered Monday when he tried to file a complaint at the substation but was told he had to contact Internal Affairs. The man didn't make a big scene, but he also didn't leave for a while, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a Tucson police spokesman.

During negotiations, police evacuated people in the area, and a sniper and spotter were seen on a rooftop near the substation.

Dugan said the man showed up at the West Side substation around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, walking up to the front door and trying to enter but the doors were locked.

The man then rang an emergency button and tried to talk to police inside, but he sounded incoherent and police went outside to talk to him, Dugan said.

By the time officers arrived, Dugan said the man had gone inside his RV and called 911. The dispatchers called officers at the substation and told them the man was threatening to blow up his RV, which was parked directly next to the building.

The substation, a nearby convenience store and a mobile home park were evacuated.

The man refused to come out of the RV but occasionally showed police the gasoline and hammer, Dugan said.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety shut down roads around the area during the long standoff, and about 60 police personnel were at the scene, including the bomb squad, a mental health support team, the Tucson Fire Department and the Pima County Sheriff's Office.