Man Arrested After Tense Standoff In Redwood City

REDWOOD CITY, CA — A man was arrested in Redwood City on Sunday evening after neighbors reported a person on the roof of a trailer possibly armed with a rifle. Officers responded to the scene at the Redwood Mobile Estates and set up a perimeter, calling in crisis negotiators and requesting a drone from neighboring agencies.

In a news release Monday, police said the man had moved from the roof to inside the trailer as the first officers arrived. Investigators learned that the man's wife and young son were also inside.

Police said the man had a prior arrest for a violent felony and negotiators worked to convince the man to come out, worried for the family members inside. Officials said negotiators were able to get him outside briefly, but he appeared to be very agitated. To prevent him from re-entering the trailer, officers chose to use a 40MM "less-lethal" device and struck the man twice. Officers moved to detain the man and he was taken to the San Mateo County General Hospital for an evaluation.

"This case highlights officer's efforts at de-escalation in the midst of a rapidly developing tactical situation," the police department wrote Monday. "It also demonstrates the balance between concern for a subject who turned out to be in a mental crisis episode, with the safety of his wife and son. Given the fact that the subject was believed to be armed with a rifle in a population-dense area that was a major concern as well."

After securing the scene, investigators determined the rifle was a "realistic looking pellet gun."