STROUD TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man is facing several charges Wednesday night after an hours-long standoff ended in Stroud Township.
The Stroud Area Regional Police Department says they were called to Walnut Grove Road in Stroud Township around 11:35 a.m. for a man reportedly destroying the Walnut Grove community sign with a hammer.
When officers arrived on scene, they identified the man as 29-year-old Alexander Ball from East Stroudsburg, who lived in the community.
Authorities explain that the reporting party told officers she saw Ball damage the community sign with a hammer and then went back to his home and was screaming on his back deck.
Police say officers tried to make contact with Ball but could only hear his screaming, breaking things inside the residence, and obscenities. A woman, later identified by authorities as Ball's mother, was seen by officers inside the home, visibly upset.
Ball told his mother she wasn't allowed to open the door and stood in front of the door with the hammer, not letting her leave, officials say.
Authorities say Ball eventually went to the second floor of the home, and his mother was able to leave. Police then established a perimeter and neighbors were advised to stay inside.
According to police, Ball was seen moving around the house, yelling and reacting incoherently, refusing to answer his phone.
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After about three hours of failed de-escalation tactics and negotiations, authorities say Ball said he destroyed his phone with the hammer and continued yelling and replying incoherently.
Police were able to get a search and arrest warrant for a mental health evaluation and criminal violations.
Officials say the SWAT team was deployed to help, and after arriving on the scene, police tried unsuccessfully several times to get Ball to surrender. SWAT finally used breaching devices and used "non-lethal chemical agents" in the house.
Ball still refused to surrender, and police say SWAT officers entered the home and took custody of Ball without incident at about 7:30 p.m.
Ball was taken to a nearby hospital for decontamination and evaluation from the chemical agents used, and a mental health evaluation. After his release from the hospital, Ball will be arrested and faces several charges, including unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and other related offenses.
Authorities say the incident lasted over eight hours and is still an active scene for officers to confirm the safety of the situation inside the home.
