Man With Axe Arrested After Standoff In Novato: Police

NOVATO, CA — A standoff with an armed man in crisis ended peacefully Wednesday morning in Novato, according to police.

Officers responded to reports of a man swinging an axe and breaking windows in downtown Novato shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday near 1st Street and Grant Avenue. Police said a second 911 caller reported a man with an axe near 7th Street, followed by a third report of vandalism near Winding Way.

Police said the man also brandished the axe at a member of the Novato Fire Protection District.

Officers were able to identify the man, a 28-year-old Novato resident, and tracked down his residence. When police arrived, officers reported the man got out of his car in the driveway holding an axe and a pipe. He ran into the home and barricaded inside, prompting officers to evacuate nearby homes while they attempted to negotiate.

The department sent out a community alert about the police activity and called in a crisis negotiation team. The efforts were successful, and the man surrendered and was safely taken into custody shortly after 9 a.m., police said.

The man was treated at the hospital for self-inflicted injuries and booked into jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a deadly weapon, vandalism and resisting arrest. The Novato Police Department thanked neighboring agencies and witnesses for their help in ensuring a peaceful resolution.

"We would like to thank the San Rafael Police Department and the Marin County Sheriff's Office for their assistance during this incident," the department wrote. "We would also like to thank witnesses for providing timely information and the neighbors for their patients as we worked to resolve the situation.