Standoff ends in arrest

[Note: this story has been modified since its original posting.]

A woman in the 1700 block of Hinkson Ave. called police this morning, saying she was being held against her will by her boyfriend, who was in possession of a firearm.

Joe H. Hawkins of Columbia was later arrested, police said.

Police arrived on the scene a little after 7:45 a.m. and immediately blocked off Hinkson Avenue and Anne Street, evacuating residents in the area. By 8:30 a.m. the woman, who has not yet been identified, had safely fled the house, and police began negotiations for the man to leave the property.

At 11:13 a.m., the Columbia Police Special Tactics And Response team, wearing gas masks and black body armor, circled the house and fired seven canisters of pepper spray into the house. Despite the gas, the man still refused to leave.

The standoff came to an end at 12:03, after the police fired a noise-flash diversionary device, commonly known as a flash-bang, into the house. The STAR team entered through the front door and soon found the man hiding in a bedroom.

Hawkins is expected to be charged on several counts including brandishing a firearm, first-degree burglary and assault, police said. Hawkins is wanted on an outstanding warrant for discharging a firearm while intoxicated, police said.