5.5-Hour Police Standoff Leads To MoCo Man's Arrest

DAMASCUS, MD — A Montgomery County man is in custody on multiple arrest warrants after police said he tried to set a house on fire and then barricaded himself inside for about 5.5 hours on Monday and Tuesday, authorities said.

About 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 29, Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 26000 block of Mullinix Road in Damascus to serve multiple felony arrest warrants on 28-year-old Brandon Lee Clayton.

Deputies had attempted to serve a court order at the same address on Dec. 27, but Clayton did not comply and threatened to set the home on fire, a police news release said. Officers left the house and planned to return later.

When deputies returned on Dec. 29, Clayton barricaded himself inside the home and again threatened to burn it down, authorities said. Officers reported he attempted to set items inside the residence on fire.

Montgomery County Police SWAT officers and crisis negotiators were called to the home. During the standoff, Clayton’s mother refused to cooperate with officers and chose to stay in the house against police officers' request, the release said.

After several hours of negotiation, Clayton's mother left the house safely and he surrendered moments later at about 1:42 a.m. Tuesday.

Clayton was taken into custody and taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he is being held pending a bond hearing.