Seven-hour standoff with armed suspect in Clearwater ends peacefully
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
CLEARWATER, Fla. - James Halterman, 47, faces multiple charges after allegedly barricading himself in his apartment for more than seven hours, threatening to shoot his wife and police officers.
According to the Clearwater Police Department, Halterman’s wife called police shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday and said her husband had threatened to slit her throat and shoot her. In fear for her life, she fled the apartment.
According to CPD, Halterman then refused to come out of the apartment as requested by officers. Instead, he barricaded himself inside with multiple weapons. At times, he pointed those weapons at officers who were outside the apartment. "Come to my door and I will shoot you," he said at one point in a text to officers, according to PCSO.
The SWAT team and the negotiator team responded to the scene to begin a dialogue with Halterman. At the same time, residents in nearby apartments were evacuated by officers.
After more than seven and a half hours, at about 6:45 a.m., police were able to take Halterman into custody.
"Our SWAT team and negotiator team worked tirelessly through the night to bring this incident to a peaceful conclusion," said Police Chief Dan Slaughter. "This man pointed guns at our officers multiple times and threatened to kill them and his wife. We utilized an abundance of restraint, as team members are taught to do. Our teams are skilled at de-escalation and the preservation of life."