Suspect Surrenders After Armed Standoff With Berkeley Police

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- An armed man discovered sleeping inside a car on a Berkeley street peacefully surrendered after a more than 2-hour standoff with police.

Berkeley police said officers responded to the 1400 block of Prince Street at 1:47 p.m. on a report of a man passed-out inside a vehicle who was possibly intoxicated.

Before officers arrived at the scene, another caller reported that the same man had two firearms inside his vehicle.

Recognizing the danger of contacting an armed person who may be disoriented when suddenly awakened, officers formed a safety perimeter around the vehicle and maintained their distance.

To ensure the man did not suddenly drive away, officers placed 'stop sticks' near the vehicle's tires. An armored vehicle was also brought in as cover while negotiators tried to contact the man with a loudspeaker.

Despite repeated calls with our loudspeaker in English and Spanish, the man would not wake. The man finally responded and began to communicate with our negotiators. At 4:30 pm, the man stepped out of the vehicle and was safely taken into custody.

Inside the vehicle, officers found a handgun, a rifle, a collapsible baton, several hundred rounds of ammunition and four replica firearms.

The 52-year-old Berkeley man was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication and several weapons violations.