Sonora Man In Custody After Early Morning Standoff

Sonora, Ca — An unidentified 68-year-old Sonora man is in custody after a standoff with the Tuolumne County Sheriff´s Department this morning.

Deputies were dispatched to a report of a domestic dispute between a husband and wife in the 17000 block of Black Bird Ln. at 3:20am.

The male half of the dispute was reported to be armed with at least a rifle and a handgun. He was reported to have been drinking alcohol and was threatening violence to himself and responding deputies.

“We had six or seven of our SWAT members respond to the scene, and with their assistance, the patrol guys were able to take the suspect into custody,” says Lt. Dan Bressler. “There was a lot of negotiating back and forth, and there was a lot of communication. The man was very angry and potentially very violent.”

It took approximately three hours for the suspect to disarm himself, and allow deputies to place him under arrest. He was transported to Sonora Regional Medical Center and still remains under evaluation. It is not currently known whether criminal charges will be initiated.

Written by BJ Hansen