A SWAT team was sent to Imperial Beach Friday morning after a suspect altercation with sheriff's deputies, according to officials.
Officials responded to a domestic violence call around 7 a.m. The suspect then assaulted a deputy, punching him in the face, according to Lt. Eric Hays. Police officers were then called to assist and SWAT also responded to the incident.
Police searched the area and found the suspect was barricaded inside an apartment on the 1300-block of Holly Avenue, according to Hays. At least 12 nearby apartment units were evacuated as a safety precaution.
Officials threw Pepper Balls into the unit, but the suspect refused to come out. After nearly 5 hours of a standoff, the suspect was arrested shortly after 11:30 a.m. when he gave himself up.
A parole agent told NBC 7 that the suspect is a parolee.
Officials said the woman who made the original domestic violence call is safe.
Witnesses told an NBC 7 reporter at the scene that the incident started around 7 a.m. and they heard a helicopter making announcements for them to stay inside.
Residents said the complex has between 12-16 units and it's a very tight-knit group. One witness said the suspect is not a resident of the condo and he was able to get inside the apartment by knocking on someone's door. They said the person was able to get out safely before the suspect barricaded himself inside their unit.
An investigator confirms that a shot was fired by a deputy at the scene, but no one was hit by the bullet. That's one of the reasons why investigators remained at the scene all day Friday collecting evidence.
Photo Credit: Artie Ojeda