LONGVIEW — A Yale-area resident surrendered without incident late Wednesday afternoon after deputies and SWAT officers fired a gas irritant into his home to end a standoff that began in the early afternoon, according to law enforcement officials.
William Black, who is 58 or 59, is accused of shooting recklessly toward the home of his neighbors on Frasier Road, then threatening to shoot them when they complained, said Charlie Rosenzweig, chief criminal deputy for the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Department.
No injuries were reported.
The homes involved in the dispute are only about 100 feet apart. Rosenzweig said the neighbors reported that Black’s rifle shots kicked up debris on the ground that stuck their home.
Rosenzweig declined to speculate about Black’s motives for allegedly firing in the direction of the neighborhood house.
Sheriff’s deputies, Fish and Wildlife officers and Lower Columbia SWAT officers were called out to Frasier Road at the east end of Lake Merwin at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on a reports of a potentially dangerous resident.
Black refused to surrender to a deputy who was called to the scene and took refuge in his house, resulting in a SWAT team being called to the scene. He came out of the house a few times, unarmed, but continued to refuse requests to surrender, Rosenzweig said.
In late afternoon, officers used a launcher to shoot a gas irritant into Black’s residence. He came out, unarmed, and surrendered to deputies without further incident, Rosenzweig said.
About 20 officers in all were called to the scene.
Bryan Woodruff, who owns the Ariel Store, said his neighbor saw 15 law enforcement vehicles heading towards Skamania Fire Station number 4 around 3 p.m., which is also when he started to hear sirens.
People in the area reportedly were told to stay in their homes and “keep hunkered down,” Woodruff said.
