SWAT team takes Menifee man into custody after eight hours

A neighbor talks to SWAT officers after a suspect was taken into custody Thursday night on Serpens Court. Menifee 24/7 photos and video by Doug Spoon

By Doug Spoon, Editor

A man who hid inside a Menifee home for more than eight hours, ignoring commands from SWAT team officers to come out, was taken into custody with what appeared to be only minor injuries around midnight on Thursday.

The incident began sometime around 3 or 4 p.m., judging from reports by readers to Menifee 24/7 of a helicopter and ground police vehicles surrounding a house in the 25500 block of Serpens Court, a few doors west of Milky Way. Few details were released by the Sheriff's Department to the media Thursday night and a sergeant in command at the conclusion of the incident told Menifee 24/7 he was not authorized to comment.

The original report from a Sheriff's Department spokesman was that a parolee was barricaded inside a house and possibly was suicidal. When Menifee 24/7 arrived on scene about 7 p.m., multiple SWAT vehicles were on site and officers at a command truck around the corner were monitoring pictures from a robot sent toward the house. Close to 30 neighbors gathered at the end of the block to watch as officers tried to contact the suspect for hours before finally entering the residence and taking him into custody.

When the man, appearing to be in his 30s, was wheeled out to a waiting ambulance shortly before midnight, he was conscious and talking to officers. The only visible injury was a wrap on his leg. According to a neighbor who lives directly across the street, the injury was the result of a bite from a police dog sent in with SWAT officers. There were no apparent injuries to others and no one else was in the home at the time.

Police have not released any other details at this time, including whether the suspect was armed.

Another neighbor on the block told Menifee 24/7 that the incident was the result of an argument earlier in the day related to the pending sale of the home. The neighbor said the adult male suspect became upset and one or both of his parents notified police. That neighbor said the man is often seen walking in the neighborhood and appears to behave strangely at times.

The suspect first ignored commands via loudspeaker from a helicopter circling overhead. Later, a SWAT team member stationed behind armored vehicles in front of the house repeatedly asked the suspect via loudspeaker to come out. At least four times during the next few hours, an armored vehicle approached the front of the house with SWAT members following behind shields. Flash bombs were ignited each time, but an officer on site said no shots were ever fired.

Finally, sometime after 11 p.m., SWAT officers gained access to the home, appearing to enter through a side yard and an open garage door. Soon the police dog began barking loudly and the suspect was heard screaming. After several minutes in which officers went in and out of the residence, an ambulance arrived to take the injured suspect away.

There was little visible damage to the house, and officers appeared to give the suspect every opportunity over several hours to come out peacefully before finally entering the residence.

A battering ram vehicle was brought in but was not used on the front door.

Here is raw footage from video shot at the scene by Menifee 24/7: