A man who had pointed his gun at a group of children and fired when police arrived surrendered after a more than four hour standoff in Van Nuys. Patrick Healy reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on April 24, 2015.
Police were in a tense standoff with an armed man at a Van Nuys apartment building Friday afternoon, after he allegedly pointed his gun at a neighbor's children.
The children were in a common area of the apartment building in the 15900 block of Sherman Way just before 1 p.m. when they encountered the man, who pointed his weapon at them, according to Capt. Lillian Carranza.
When police arrived at the apartment, the man fired a few rounds, Carranza said. The SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called to the building.
Carranza said police believe the man is despondent, possibly stemming from a separate domestic incident.
"We are currently trying to negotiate with him and asking him to safely surrender," Carranza said just before 5 p.m.
The man remained in a second floor common area that overlooked the sidewalk through most of the afternoon, before surrendering just before 6 p.m.
The street in front of the apartment was closed and neighbors evacuated as the standoff continued into the early evening.
