A wellness check led to a nearly 10-hour SWAT standoff after a man barricaded himself inside a Flowery Branch home Wednesday, officials said.
Flowery Branch officers arrived at the home in the Sterling on The Lake neighborhood around 2:30 p.m. after someone requested they check on the man who lived there because he had been threatening to harm himself, according to a police news release.
The man, later identified as 30-year-old Jacob Hill, pulled out a firearm and threatened to shoot officers and harm himself if they did not leave his property, the release states. He fired one shot inside the house, and officers called for help from the Hall County SWAT team.
The team, including negotiators, tried to convince Hill to exit the home. But during negotiations, Hill fired two more shots inside the house, and SWAT officers determined they would have to force Hill from the residence, the release states. They deployed a “less-than-lethal chemical agent” into the house, and Hill surrendered peacefully about 20 minutes later.
“This was a team effort all around,” Flowery Branch police Chief Chris Hulsey said in a statement. “Neighbors were very patient because we had roads closed in the neighborhood and they couldn’t get home until very late. I also commend the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and their SWAT team for helping to bring this incident to a peaceful end.”
No injuries were reported during the standoff.
“We’re thankful for the positive outcome of this very tense situation,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said in a statement. “Our SWAT members and officers from the Flowery Branch Police Department worked together in tandem through the night, and we’re just glad the incident was resolved without anyone being hurt.”
Hill has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer and four counts of terroristic threats. He remains in the Hall County jail.
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