Barricaded Armed Man in Custody After Hours-Long Standoff at Wendy’s in Lancaster

LANCASTER, Calif., Apr. 27 (KNN) — A man allegedly armed with a gun and barricaded inside a Wendy’s fast food restaurant in the city of Lancaster Friday night, was finally taken in custody by authorities after an hours-long standoff.

The incident began Friday, around 7:35 p.m., in the 2000 block of West Avenue I, when it was reported that a male Black adult wearing a burgundy sweatshirt was sitting at a table allegedly with a gun covered with napkins.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lancaster Station and California Highway Patrol’s Antelope Valley Division responded to the location. Deputies attempted various tactics to persuade the man to surrender, but the situation remained unresolved.

At 7:49 p.m., a crisis negotiation team was requested to assist, and at 7:54 p.m., the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) was called in for support. As of 10:09 p.m., the situation was still ongoing, with authorities working to resolve the incident peacefully.

Surrounding businesses were evacuated for the safety of others, according to the LASD.

The incident concluded at approximately 1:10 a.m. Saturday, when the suspect surrendered to the SEB after chemical agents were deployed, reported Lt. Ryan Diaz with the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station. The area was deemed safe and all neighboring businesses were allowed to return to normal operations.

There is no additional information from the LASD at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lancaster Station at (661) 948-8466.

If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

Video: Anthony Cheval, Video Journalist / KNN, Story: Eyad Alawi, Video Journalist / KNN