SALT LAKE CITY — An 8½ hour standoff with a man believed to be armed ended peacefully Thursday morning.
Arturo Chavez, 32, surrendered without further incident about 9:20 a.m. after holding SWAT team members and U.S. marshals at bay the entire morning.
The incident began about 1 a.m. Thursday when members of the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team received information that a known gang member, currently wanted on a $25,000 warrant for a drug-related crime, was at a home near 1900 S. West Temple.
JCAT members set up surveillance around the house, watched as a woman believed to be the man's girlfriend walked into the home, and then observed the man inside, said supervisory deputy U.S. marshal Jim Phelps.
The U.S. marshals knocked on the door but got no answer. After knocking louder and identifying themselves as officers they still got no answer, Phelps said.
Through a window, one officer spotted the man crawling to an area behind a couch and retrieve what he thought was a handgun, said Phelps. The JCAT members kicked in the front door and broke windows around the home to get a better view and again order him to surrender.
When they still received no response, Phelps said the JCAT team backed away and the Salt Lake police SWAT team was called to assist with who was believed to be an armed, barricaded man. Officers shot several pepper balls — balls filled with pepper spray — into the home to force the man out, but to no avail.
The man's girlfriend remained in the house, but officials said she was there on her own free will and it was not a hostage situation.
Just before 8:30 a.m., police fired tear gas into the residence. The woman came out of the house but the man remained inside. The woman was questioned by police, and Phelps said she was cooperating with them.
About an hour later, Chavez also came out and surrendered after calling relatives while inside the house, who were in contact with negotiators from Salt Lake police, Phelps said. He agreed to come out if he could be allowed to hug his children before he was taken to jail. Phelps said arrangements were made for that to happen.
After he was taken into custody, police found a loaded 9 mm handgun inside the house, which was stolen. Drug paraphernalia was also found, Phelps said.
In 2010, he was found guilty of an amended charge of felony drug possession with intent to distribute. But his current warrant was issued on Aug. 27 when he failed to appear for sentencing.
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