JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A standoff with a man police say is mentally ill ends with no injuries. Antonio Chavez was taken into custody.
Lt. Jimmy Judge tells Action News police were called to the 8100 block of San Jose Manor West at 6:41 p.m., after a neighbor reported a disturbance with an intoxicated man.
When police arrived, they witnessed the man douse himself in gasoline and overheard him threaten to light himself on fire. He then went inside his apartment and began breaking all of the windows.
Attempts to calm him down resulted in him becoming more aggressive.
"He's come in and out many times, mainly yelling profanities at us, but we can't decipher anything else he's saying and can't get close enough to bring him in. He's now boarded up the windows."
The JSO SWAT unit was called to the scene.
Judge says the seven homes immediately surrounding the apartment were evacuated, and a reverse 911 call was made to an additional 161 homes in the area. Residents were given the option to leave before the SWAT team arrived. Those that did not are now ordered to stay inside, and those that did evacuate could wait hours before being allowed to return.
"We don't have any criminal charges on him, but what we do have is a Baker Act. He's threatening to harm himself so obviously we can't just leave, we can't drive away, so we have to get him the help he needs."
Just after midnight, the voice of woman identified as the man's wife was used to urge him to be an example to his daughter and come out peacefully. There was no response and the area went quiet for some time.
Officers broke windows to the home and used cameras to search for Chavez. He was discovered, passed out, on the floor according to investigators.
