He shot his girlfriend. It took 4 hours of negotiating with police before he surrendered

A man who shot his girlfriend and threatened to kill himself spent four hours locked inside his Tacoma apartment before negotiators talked him out, records show.

The 37-year-old pleaded not guilty Tuesday to first-degree assault and was ordered jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.

His girlfriend underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the thigh and is expected to recover.

The argument started early Monday after a night out drinking. When the couple returned home to the apartment they share on South G Street about 4:30 a.m., the argument grew heated.

The man allegedly threw things around their home and hit his girlfriend in the head with a handgun 5 to 6 times before firing a single shot at her leg.

He then put the gun to his head and threatened to pull the trigger, according to charging papers.

His girlfriend was able to call 911 and several officers responded.

After a few minutes, the man opened the front door and allowed his girlfriend to leave so paramedics could tend to her gunshot wound.

It took four hours of negotiating on the telephone with police before the man surrendered and was arrested.

It’s unclear what the couple was arguing about.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 8:50 AM with the headline "He shot his girlfriend. It took 4 hours of negotiating with police before he surrendered."