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Suspect in Midway area police standoff surrenders

Witnesses began making 911 calls about a pedestrian wandering in traffic lanes in the 4100 block of Pacific Highway about 11:30 a.m., according to San Diego police.
Credit: KFMB

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A knife-wielding, possibly suicidal man who had been walking in and out of traffic and onto train tracks in the Midway district late this morning refused to disarm himself or surrender when patrol officers arrived, prompting a four-hour standoff that ended in his arrest.

Witnesses began making 911 calls about a pedestrian wandering in traffic lanes in the 4100 block of Pacific Highway about 11:30 a.m., according to San Diego police. The callers told dispatchers the armed man was behaving in an "agitated" manner and rambling about wanting to be shot by officers, SDPD spokesman Scott Lockwood said.

Authorities closed a stretch of the street and suspended rail service through the area until further notice.

When officers were unable to persuade the man -- who at times was holding his knife to his own neck -- to drop the weapon and give himself up, they called in crisis negotiators to take over the efforts to defuse the situation.

In the early afternoon, the Metropolitan Transit System advised that it had temporarily halted Green Line trolley service between its Washington Street and Old Town stations due to the police activity along the rails.

The standoff continued until shortly before 4 p.m., when the suspect finally surrendered peacefully, Officer John Buttle said.

Authorities then reopened the street and gave a go-ahead for trolley service to resume in the area.

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