ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
A 24-year-old suspect is in police custody tonight, after he allegedly assaulted 2 members of his own family -- then held a SWAT Team at Bay. It happened early today (Saturday) in East Anchorage.
It was around 3 in the morning when neighbors say they heard loud shouting and cursing -- out on the street -- in front of Jay's home on Mirage Circle.
Citing victim privacy rights, police will not identify the family members that Jay allegedly assaulted. But a neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said saw he the suspect holding the two knives -- and trying to get inside a car that held his own sister -- in the pre-dawn hours in front of the home. Whoever the woman was, she managed to lock the door and roll up the windows -- and then managed to drive off, uninjured.
Police also accuse Jay of trying to strangle another family member inside the home. That family member was not seriously injured either.
By 5 in the morning, a SWAT team arrived on the scene, and made sure that no innocent victims remained inside the home.
Then they began a 12-hour-stand-off. The suspect was apparently armed with a knife. But no one was sure, at first, if he might have a firearm.
Police played loud siren sounds -- in an apparent effort to try to flush Jay out of the home. Then they used a loudspeaker to try to establish communication. There was no response.
By 3 in the afternoon, a robot -- with a remote camera was sent inside the home, but initially it did not turn-up evidence of the suspect. Late in the day, authorities weren't sure if Jay had somehow slipped away. At one point Lt. Richard Henning, of the Anchorage Police, told a reporter they weren't sure how but, "Unfortunately it looks like he slipped out," Then Henning continued, "Whether it was before, during or after we have no idea."
But despite their initial concerns that Jay may have gotten away, Henning kept his men searching the house.
Meanwhile, other squad cars searched near the 1000 block of Friendly Lane -- a couple of miles away -- where they thought the suspect might be. But that search turned up dry two.
By 5 in the evening, the search of Jay's home proved fruitful. He was arrested, apparently without incident, and taken to the Anchorage City Jail. Police say he was armed only with a knife. There was no gun.
He now faces 2 charges of assault. His arraignment is scheduled for 5 o'clock tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.
It's not clear what sparked the domestic dispute.
