UPDATE, Aug. 22: Police announced that the suspect’s name was Bruce Mead, 27 years old, of Ithaca. He was charged with second- and third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, both of which are felonies. He was arraigned and remanded without bail. No further information was released.
ORIGINAL STORY:
ITHACA, N.Y.—An hours-long standoff between police and a suspect barricaded in an apartment complex ended with the suspect’s arrest on Saturday afternoon.
The incident started late Saturday morning at the Chestnut Hill Apartments. The victim, interviewed by the Ithaca Voice on the scene, said the suspect had struck her with a stick and pulled a knife on her during an argument. She called police to respond, and by the time they had arrived the suspect had brandished a gun and fired it at least once—though not at her or at police, the victim said. He then retreated into an apartment and barricaded himself in there. The victim sustained a welt on her arm from when she was struck with the stick. She is not being named, per Ithaca Voice policy with victims of domestic violence crimes.
Some residents were displaced for much of the afternoon as police operated within the complex. A large perimeter was established around the complex, shutting down most of Chestnut Street. There did not appear to be any further shots fired during the stand-off, though police will have to clarify that later. It is also unclear if police breached the apartment where the man was hiding or if he surrendered himself.
After hours of a stand-off, one person was led out of the complex in handcuffs around 4:30 p.m. He appeared to be a young white man around 30 years of age. It is unclear if police will identify the suspect in the subsequent press release. Deputy Chief Vincent Monticello of IPD then confirmed that the situation had ended with his arrest.
The police response was large, with officers from Cornell Police Department, Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and the New York State Park Police assisting the Ithaca Police Department. IPD set up its negotiation station with Truck 99, which is used as a mobile headquarters for stand-off situations.