Local

SWAT standoff at Brighton Heights home ends peacefully (PHOTOS)

PITTSBURGH — Police surrounded a home in Brighton Heights Tuesday morning after responding to the report of a domestic dispute.

Channel 11's Rick Earle reported police were called to a home on Reuben Street around 8:30 a.m. after a woman called 911 and said her son had a knife and was threatening to kill himself.

As authorities worked to convince the man into giving himself up, anxious neighbors were told to stay inside.

“They told us to stay in the house and don’t come out,” Beverly Lichauer said. “It was kind of scary for us. My mom is elderly and they said to lock our door.”

Mercer Napper, who lives across the street from the home, said he knew it was serious.

“SWAT was right there,” Napper said. “He was lying underneath one of my pine trees. I watched him make adjustments and so forth. I was thinking he was going to take the shot.”

For several hours, police negotiated with the man, who threatened to jump from a window and reportedly told police to shoot him.

When the situation escalated, police set off several smoke grenades, officials said.

“The decision was made to use the flash bangs to help him along in his decision-making process. At that point he decided to surrender,” Pittsburgh Police spokesperson Sonya Toler said.

Earle reported the situation appeared to end just after noon when the man surrendered.

“He came out on his own. There was no harm done to him or the officers,” Toler said.

The man, whose name hasn’t been released, was taken for a mental health evaluation.