A nearly 12 hour standoff with a man on the South Coast ended without serious injuries, when tear gas was used to get him to come out of an apartment and surrender.
It started just after 12 a.m. Tuesday, on the 100 block of Oceano Avenue in Santa Barbara. That’s in the city’s Mesa area.
Police were called to the scene by reports of a disturbance. The man was breaking out windows of an apartment. Police say he attacked one of the officers, but no serious injuries were reported. Some nearby apartments were evacuated.
The SWAT team was deployed, but negotiators tried to deescalate the situation. After the man still refused to surrender after hours of effort, tear gas was used. He was safely taken into custody just before noon. Officers say the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs.