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Fullerton man fires slingshot at police drone during wild standoff

A drunk man allegedly fired a shot inside his home after pointing a gun at his family, leading to an hours-long standoff in a Fullerton neighborhood early Sunday morning, police said.

When SWAT officers arrived, they threw a flashbang inside after getting no response from the man. They also flew a police drone near the house, prompting the man to come outside and fire several rounds from a slingshot at the device buzzing overhead.

He was later arrested after agreeing to surrender, ending a nearly six-hour standoff.

The incident began shortly after police arrived at the home near Knepp and Richmond avenues after 3:36 a.m., said Fullerton Sgt. Brandon Clyde. Someone had called police to the home reporting a family disturbance.

Police said the man, who has not been identified, had been drinking and started arguing with his family early that morning. During the argument, the man grabbed a gun and fired one shot.

Police said they weren’t sure how many people were inside the home when the shot was fired. They also weren’t sure of their exact relationship to the man.

No one was injured in the shooting. When officers arrived, they got the family out, but the man refused to come outside.

Fullerton police shut down Knepp between Highland Avenue and Richmond, and Richmond between Valencia Drive and Orangethorpe Avenue for hours Sunday morning.

The standoff brought North County SWAT — an emergency team staffed by five local city police departments and campus police at Cal State Fullerton — which at first was unable to get a response from the man. They threw a flash-bang inside trying to get him to respond and surrender.

The team later flew a police drone near the house. That’s when the man stepped outside and took a few shots at it with a slingshot.

“Just a typical wrist rocket-type device,” Clyde said of the slingshot.

All of his shots missed and the drone was undamaged.

The man surrendered at about 9 a.m. Police were expected to remain for much of the day as they continued investigating the incident.


Source: Orange County Register

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