How to resolve AdBlock issue? CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A standoff in Clearlake Oaks ended late Wednesday night with a man who had held law enforcement at bay for several hours taken into custody.
The standoff was first reported shortly before 5 p.m. at a home on Fourth Street, between Schindler and Shaul streets, as Lake County News has reported.
Witnesses reported that it ended at approximately 10:43 p.m. after SWAT team members broke down the home’s door and also broke some windows to gain entrance.
The 52-year-old male suspect was taken out of the house in handcuffs, with law enforcement continuing to go through the house afterward, witnesses said.
Radio reports indicated the suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his left calf, which he reportedly received at about 5:30 p.m. He also was reported to be under the influence of alcohol.
The standoff began after the suspect allegedly shot a woman with a pellet gun.
The woman, Brenda Austin, said she had gone to the home to discuss a vehicle. She said the suspect became angry and he allegedly shot at her twice, hitting her with the second shot.
She showed Lake County News what appeared to be a pellet gun wound in her left hip.
After being injured, she said she left and called 911, and said she also left the alleged assailant a phone message saying she had called law enforcement.
When deputies arrived, scanner traffic indicated that the man had shot at them several times either with a pellet gun or a small caliber gun.
Jesse Langhorne, who lives on Schindler Street, said he heard someone yelling, “Drop the gun” repeatedly. Then he said he heard several loud gunshots from what he believed was a sheriff’s deputy.
Law enforcement agencies from around the county responded, among them the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Staged out on Highway 20 near Shaul were Northshore Fire Protection District personnel.
Immediate neighbors of the home reported being told to leave their residences. CHP and sheriff’s staff continued to push residents and onlookers back, finally cordoning off portions of Shaul and Schindler and all of Fourth Street.
A negotiator called in to the man, trying to convince him to leave his home and come out. A second negotiator arrived later, and she also took turns trying to get the man to surrender.
It was reported at the scene that power and water had been cut to the home, with lights being set up outside of the home. SWAT team members appeared to be using strobe lights on the home’s exterior after dark.
As the night wore on, the temperature dropped and winds kicked up in the neighborhood, finally causing many neighbors who had clustered outside in groups watching the incident to return to their homes.
Neighbors said the man has lived in the area for some time, and that he may possibly have shared the home with roommates.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
