A man surrendered to police after exchanging fire with officers in a Mesa neighborhood in the early morning hours of February 15.
Mesa police were called to a home near McKellips Road and Stapley Drive around 1:30 a.m. by a neighbor who saw 46-year-old Jesse McCullough jump a backyard fence.
The neighbor was aware of an order of protection filed against McCullough.
When McCullough entered the home, he confronted a family friend who was in town to assist Mccullough's wife after the order of protection was filed.
McCullough, holding a .45 caliber handgun, allegedly ordered the man to take off his clothes so that he wouldn't leave the house, but later relented and insisted the man just tie his shoelaces together.
He forced the hostage to talk with police, but the man was unable to convey to police that he was a hostage.
After about an hour, police say, McCullough, using his hostage as a human shield, fired shots at police out of the front door and window striking their police units.
Officers shot back at the man, but no one was hit.
Police worked to negotiate with McCullough for several hours before he surrendered around 5:15 a.m.
McCullough reportedly told police that wanted to spend time with his wife on Valentine's Day. He also claims that officers fired on him first and he shot at them in self-defense.
He is being held on a $150,000 bond on multiple charges of aggravated assault, kidnapping, and endangerment.
