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UPDATE: Standoff in Carbon County

LANSFORD —  A man from Carbon County is locked up after police say he locked himself in his home and refused to leave. The police chief in Lansford says t...

LANSFORD --  A man from Carbon County is locked up after police say he locked himself in his home and refused to leave.

The police chief in Lansford says the behavior is out of character for the suspect, Jeffrey Gangaware.  He'd never been in trouble before this.

Heavily-armed police officers swarmed all over East Bertsch Street in Lansford, called there because of what was happening in this home in the

jeffrey gangaware mug

Gangaware also claimed to be armed.  Because of that, a next door neighbor was told to stay inside and more.

"The police chief told us on the phone to get down the basement because they could be firing through the walls," said Richard Egrie.

Egrie grabbed his family, including his frightened 6-year-old granddaughter Nicole and did what police said.

All of those well-armed police officers spent hours at the scene because, according to the police chief, the suspect said something that triggered that response.

"He wasn't cooperating with us and he wasn't coming out.  He said if he comes out, it's going to be the hard way," said Lansford Police Chief John Turcmanovich

So Chief Turcmanovich called in a special state police unit, including a negotiator.  Gangaware was talked in to surrendering at about 7:30 a.m., but not before causing a major disruption in his Lansford neighborhood.  Police kept neighbor Lou Vicorek from leaving his home.

"They said 'get back in the house.'  I said "I have to go to work.'  They said 'get back in the house.'"

Police say the girlfriend got out of the house just as the incident was starting.  She was not hurt.  Gangaware wasn't hurt during the eight-hour standoff.

Gangaware was arraigned on assault and related charges Monday morning.  He's now in the Carbon County Jail with bail set at $100,000 bail.

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