La Mesa SWAT Standoff Ends in Arrest of Alleged Shooter

LA MESA, CA - A SWAT standoff at a La Mesa home ended early Tuesday with a man's arrest.

Daniel Mitchell, 29, allegedly fired several shots in the residence on Blackton Street in La Mesa about 10:45 p.m. Monday, causing no injuries but sending his housemate fleeing.

The incident on Blackton Drive near Massachusetts Avenue began Monday night with a report of a disturbance, according to La Mesa police. They said a dispute between roommates escalated into a shooting around 10:40 p.m., 10News reported.

When patrol officers arrived minutes later, Mitchell allegedly ignored their repeated orders to surrender, Lt. Chad Bell said. Just before midnight, a special weapons and tactics squad was summoned to take up positions around the home.

For another 90 minutes, Mitchell remained on his front porch, unarmed but refusing to comply, according to police. He walked into the front yard around 3:30 a.m. and was taken into custody without further incident, the lieutenant said. He was subsequently booked into jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, according to jail records.

The reason for the dispute between Mitchell and the other man was unclear. A woman described as a friend of the suspect's remained inside the home during the standoff, Bell said.

Mitchell was held Wednesday on $30,000 bail pending his Thursday arraignment.

By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock