Santa Barbara County standoff over, Suspect arrested

UPDATE

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department has released more information into a case involving an armed man near Goleta early Thursday morning.

At about 3:15 a.m. deputies were called out to the 5300 block of Parejo Drive, an unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County near Goleta, after receiving a report of a man threatening a group of tenants while armed with a rifle.

The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Santa Barbara resident David Palmer, was reportedly under the influence of a controlled substance, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“The tenants fled from the residence but several family members and a caretaker were still inside,” said Kelly Hoover, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer. “As a precautionary measure, an Emergency Notification was sent to residents in the surrounding neighborhood instructing them to shelter in place and one adjacent home was evacuated.”

Palmer’s parents came out of the home after deputies arrived on scene, but his grandfather, the caretaker, and Palmer himself, remained inside the home. The Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team and Hostage Negotiation Team were called out to the scene to assist with the incident.

At about 5:40 a.m., Palmer came out of the home and was taken into custody without incident. He was booked at Santa Barbara County Jail and is facing several felony charges, including: Making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Thursday afternoon, Sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant at the residence and seized multiple firearms. They also found drug paraphernalia, suspected methamphetamine and two suspicious devices. The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad was called in to inspect the suspicious devices but determined they were not hazardous.

Palmer’s bail was set at $500,000. The Sheriff’s Office is requesting the Santa Barbara County District Attorney charge Palmer with additional firearm enhancements.

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ORIGINAL STORY

The scene of police standoff in Santa Barbara County has been cleared without incident, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs office.

Deputies took a man in his 30’s into custody around 6 a.m. after a multi-hour standoff.

Public Information Officer for Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Kelly Hoover said the incident started sometime after 3 a.m. Thursday, possibly as a domestic dispute.

The suspect was barricaded inside a home off of Patterson Avenue and Parejo Drive in Goleta. And, he was believed to be armed.