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Vietnam Vet to Face Charges for Domestic Dispute and Standoff
A 60-year-old Vietnam veteran is facing felony death threat and misdemeanor domestic violence charges for allegedly striking and threatening to kill his girlfriend and then barricading himself inside his house for nearly nine hours, Berkeley police said today (Tuesday).
Police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said the man was taken to the John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro to be evaluated after peacefully surrendering to officers when he came out of his house in the 1200 block of Queens Road about 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
Kusmiss said the incident began about 2:40 p.m. Sunday when a 68-year-old woman who has lived with the man for about 15 years called police and said he had grabbed her, shoved her and threatened to kill her.
She said the woman fled the home screaming and told officers that he had guns, had a history of psychiatric problems and was threatening to kill himself. Kusmiss said a large group of officers came to the scene to contain the neighborhood and evacuated about 10 homes near the man’s house, which is near the intersection of Queens and Shasta roads and is several blocks below Grizzly Peak Boulevard and the Shasta Road entrance to Tilden Park.
Kusmiss said a patrol sergeant reached the man by phone and the man was close to coming out several times but continued to stay inside his house.
She said a SWAT team was sent to the house about 5 p.m. Sunday. Kusmiss said that at 11:30 p.m. Sunday the man finally came out unarmed, and officers startled him by firing a flash bang device near him as a diversionary tactic and took him away.
She said that when officers went inside the man’s home they fund four loaded guns as well as two drums of jet fuel.
Kusmiss said it wasn’t illegal for the man to possess the jet fuel but the fuel had the potential to blow up his house.
Kusmiss said the woman had no visible injuries, which is why the domestic violence charge is only a misdemeanor.
She said authorities won’t release the man’s name or formally file charges against him until after he’s released from John George.
