Suspect arrested after eight hour standoff with police.
On 08/24/2014 at about 12:27 pm., the City of Hemet Dispatch Center received a call of a male suspect banging on the door of an apartment in the 500 block of N. Santa Fe St. The reporting party told dispatch that the suspect was possibly related to the owner of the apartment and that the suspect appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance.
As Hemet Police officers were responding to the scene, another caller told dispatch that the suspect had gotten into the apartment and that there was a resident hiding in the bathroom.
As the investigation progressed, the officers learned that the day before, the suspect had threatened to kill anyone in the apartment.
The first responding officers confirmed that there was a resident hiding inside one of the rooms of the apartment and that the suspect was refusing to open the door. Hemet Police Officers began attempting to make contact with the suspect verbally and through the use of loud speakers to no avail.
The Hemet / Murrieta joint SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Teams were activated to assist in the peaceful resolution of the situation. Surrounding apartments were evacuated and several city streets were closed down to protect civilian bystanders. After a few hours, the resident that was hiding inside the apartment was successfully evacuated unharmed.
Ultimately, the suspect was taken into custody by the SWAT Team after an eight hour standoff. No officers or citizens were injured during the incident and the suspect received minor injuries after resisting arrest by the SWAT Team.
Arrested: Richard Lopez, 33 year old Hemet resident.
Charges: Criminal threats, felon in possession of ammunition, resisting arrest, and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia.
Lopez is being held on $40,000.00 bail.