A standoff between police and an armed man in La Jolla Tuesday afternoon ended after an hours-long negotiation caused street closures and school lockdowns in the area, officials said Tuesday.
Officers were told a man, upset about a breakup, was sitting in a blue Ford Focus with a gun near Via Casa Alta and La Jolla Scenic Drive around 10:45 a.m., San Diego police Lt. David Meyer said.
Officers arrived and confirmed the man was parked on the side of a road armed with a gun and that he was suicidal, Meyer said.
SWAT team and negotiators arrived soon after to speak with the man, Meyer said.
“We have been here … attempting to de-escalate the situation and continue communication with the subject in hopes of providing him with some resources and bring this to a successful resolution,” Meyer said at the scene.
Officers in the area temporarily closed Via Casa Alta between La Jolla Scenic Drive and Upper Hill Drive, Meyer said. La Jolla residents were told in a statement posted to the Police Department’s social media to shelter in place or avoid the area.
Three schools in the area — Muirlands Middle, La Jolla Elementary, and La Jolla High — were put into a temporary lockdown due to the incident, said Mike Murad, a spokesperson San Diego Unified School District.
The man was taken into custody peacefully around 4:15 p.m., Officer John Buttle said.
No injuries were reported.
Staff photographer K.C. Alfred contributed to this report.
