(KNOX) – A 56-year-old man was arrested after a four-hour standoff with law enforcement at a downtown Grand Forks apartment complex on Wednesday.
Ricardo Cepeda was taken into custody from an apartment at 515 First Avenue South at around 4pm. 25 officers from agencies such as SWAT, Crisis Negotiations teams, a K-9 team, unmanned aircraft systems team and the Grand Forks Sheriff’s Office were on scene. Law enforcement also used flash bangs and non-lethal gas to get him out of the complex.
Police did not confirm there were any injuries, but Cepeda was seen with some blood on his forehead when he was being taken out of the building.
Officers responded at 12:00 Wednesday afternoon to a report of disorderly contact. Police originally responded to a call that there was possibly a suicidal man who had a weapon. Initial reports say that a tenant was allegedly yelling at another tenant’s juvenile daughter.
Cepeda was outside of the complex when he first met with police. He allegedly claimed he had a weapon and that he would shoot anyone who went near him.
He eventually went into his apartment, and officers were talking with him through his apartment door. Cepeda refused to exit the building, as he continued to threaten officers.
Law enforcement had responded to two calls that were about Cepeda’s wellbeing earlier in the day before the incident happened. A warrant was obtained and Cepeda was eventually taken into police custody.
Cepeda hasn’t been formally charged, but police are forwarding a terrorizing charge to the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office and the state’s attorney’s office could possibly file additional charges.
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