A man who pointed a gun at his South Anchorage neighbors early this morning, then holed up in his apartment for hours while officers tried to talk to him, was arrested and jailed on assault charges, police said.
The incident started when 31-year-old Justin Swanner's girlfriend told a witness at an apartment building in the 200 block of East 120th Avenue that Swanner had kicked her out of her apartment, police said in a written statement.
Swanner approached the witness, one of two men smoking cigarettes on a second-floor balcony, police said. He was also on a balcony and allegedly pointed a handgun at the men and "escorted" his girlfriend back to an apartment. The witness called 911 about 2:30 a.m.
Officers knocked on the apartment door, but neither Swanner nor the woman answered. The officers could hear movement inside the home and worried that the woman was in danger, police spokeswoman Marlene Lammers said.
"The last report we had was that she was being taken back to the apartment by a man with a gun, at gunpoint, so we feared for her safety," Lammers said.
The SWAT team and trained negotiators were called to the scene about 4 a.m., police said. They tried to talk to Swanner with a loudspeaker and by phone without success. Several phone numbers the officers identified were disconnected, and when they called the woman's cell phone, she did not answer, Lammers said.
Members of the SWAT team decided to force their way into the apartment about 8 a.m., police said.
They found Swanner and the woman inside, and Swanner was arrested on two counts of third-degree assault, police said. His bail was initially set at $10,000.
Police say there may be additional charges for Swanner. Officers talked to Swanner's girlfriend after the incident, but they have plans to re-interview her, Lammers said.
Swanner has a history of domestic violence and assault charges, according to court records.
The investigation continues, police said.
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.