HAYWARD — What began as a response to a violation of a court order Wednesday morning led to a more than six-hour standoff between Alameda County sheriff’s deputies and a pellet rifle-wielding man who also brandished what was thought to be a stick of dynamite, authorities said.
A pit bull associated with the home where the standoff happened also attacked a sheriff’s K-9, authorities said.
The 31-year-old suspect has been charged with two felonies: resisting an executive officer and possession of a destructive device. He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of brandishing a replica gun, resisting a police officer and disobeying a domestic relations court order. He has also been charged with violating parole and is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail.
The volatile incident began about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday, when deputies were dispatched to a home in the 21000 block of Meekland Avenue in the unincorporated Cherryland community for a disturbance related to the man violating a restraining order to stay away from a woman who lives in the home, authorities said.
When deputies arrived, the suspect allegedly brandished what turned out later to be a pellet rifle from inside the home, Sheriff’s Sgt. Roberto Morales said. That prompted a call-out of additional deputies, including the Special Response Unit, Crisis Intervention Unit, and drone operators.
Deputies were able to safely evacuate other occupants of the home, but the man remained inside.
While deputies communicated with the man, he also brandished from inside an 8- to 10-inch object that looked consistent with a stick of dynamite and made threats that he had a bomb, Morales said. That object later turned out to be “a makeshift apparatus taped together to resemble dynamite,” authorities said.
The man refused to surrender, remained uncooperative and continued to threaten deputies for several hours. Some neighbors in the area were evacuated, and those who chose not to leave were encouraged to shelter in place.
A “gas irritant” was then deployed into the home by deputies, authorities said.
After the gas deployment, a pit bull came out of the yard of the residence and attacked a sheriff’s K-9. Deputies were not sure if the suspect deliberately released the dog to attack the K-9 or if he let it out due to the gas irritant, Morales said.
The K-9 suffered puncture wounds and was bleeding from its back leg following the attack. Its handler immediately took him to a veterinary hospital for treatment.
Authorities said it turned out the pit bull belonged to the person living at the home who had the restraining order and the dog was returned to her.
As negotiations continued the suspect eventually came out of the home to avoid the gas but then barricaded himself in the side yard.
He was ultimately arrested at about 8:40 a.m. and taken to a hospital for medical clearance before being booked at Santa Rita Jail.