Sheriff's Deputy Arrested After 20-Hour Standoff

Alcide Galley is taken away in a squad car following a 20-hour standoff with police Wednesday and Thursday. Photo courtesy of Fox 11 News

Story has been updated with Galley's mug shot and additional information.

A Riverside County Sheriff's deputy was taken into custody by fellow law enforcement officers this morning after a 20-hour standoff in a neighborhood of French Valley, on the border of Winchester and Murrieta.

Alcide Galley, 49, was removed from the scene about 7:30 a.m. today, ending a situation that began at 11:07 a.m. Wednesday with a 911 call of domestic violence, authorities said. The Sheriff's Department has not released details of that incident, but neighbors said Galley's wife was injured and required medical treatment. She was not in the house for most of the ordeal, however, said authorities.

Galley, whom residents of the area said is also a former Marine, was described as a "good guy" by one neighbor, but others said he had been troubled and depressed recently. A friend of his son said he believed Galley had a lot of ammunition in the home in the 35100 block of Nightingale Street. Because of Galley's military and police training and the fear of an ammunition cache, authorities called in officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, including a SWAT team, plus a battering ram vehicle and robot to help with communication.

It is unclear how much communication was made between the sides, but SWAT team members were seen making multiple attempts to enter the home Wednesday night with flash bang explosive devices and tear gas bombs. There is no evidence that shots were fired, although the house showed the effects of the confrontation this morning, with the front door gone and an upstairs window blown out.

According to a news release, Galley refused to talk to deputies when they arrived and barricaded himself within the house. Some 20 hours later, he surrendered peacefully.

The Sheriff's Department confirmed Galley's identity but did not confirm details of the domestic dispute or provide any medical details on the alleged victim.

The incident had a major impact on residents of the neighborhood. Those at home on Nightingale Street were escorted away from police officers, near a command post on Bola Court, about three blocks away. Those returning from school or work were kept outside the perimeter and had to spend the night elsewhere. The evacuation order was lifted once the suspect was removed.

Sheriff's deputies guarded the vacant house this morning, with the front door and window blown out.

Map shows the location of the residence, east of Leon Road near French Valley on the Murrieta-Winchester border.

A SWAT team armored battering ram vehicle was used during the standoff.

SWAT team vehicles await the command to move in toward the house.

Officers wait out the tense scene at a command post a couple blocks away, on Bola Court.

Neighbors watch from a distance as police play a waiting game with the suspect. 24/7 Media photos by Doug Spoon and Kristen Spoon