An hours-long standoff, punctuated by the false report of a shooting made from the suspect's cellphone, ended early Wednesday morning when Fairbanks police captured a man wanted on two outstanding warrants.
The standoff began Tuesday evening when police went to a home in the 2300 block of Gillam Way after learning that 37-year-old Brandon Barron -- wanted on two outstanding $20,000 warrants for first-degree vehicle theft and third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance -- was there, Fairbanks police reported in a release posted on the department's Facebook page.
Officers saw Barron leave the apartment at 7 p.m., then run back inside once he spotted police. Police set up a perimeter around the residence and called a tactical team to the scene, the release said.
At about 7:45 p.m., police received a report of a nearby shooting, in the 2800 block of Gillam Way. But police said they were able to confirm the report was false, and that it came from Barron's cellphone.
At about 12:45 a.m., after attempts to reach Barron by phone and loudspeaker and a search of the apartment with a "remotely operated vehicle," the tactical team entered the apartment and caught Barron as he tried to flee, according to the police account.
He was taken to the Fairbanks Correctional Center.
In addition to his warrants, he was charged with making a false report, and two counts of violating conditions of his release.
Online court records show Barron has a lengthy criminal record, dating back to the late '90s. Last year, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported he was arrested while burglarizing a Fairbanks home, in an effort to steal several items including a popcorn machine.