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Police Respond to Standoff in Carbon County

SUMMIT HILL — Police have responded to a reported standoff in Carbon County Wednesday morning.

SUMMIT HILL -- A man who had himself barricaded inside a home in Summit Hill for hours surrendered to police Wednesday morning.

That standoff just came to an end just before noon.

Loud booms shook the neighborhood along North Oak Street in Summit Hill.

It all started just before 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Police say they got a call from a woman saying her ex-boyfriend, Fred Evans, 41, of Summit Hill, was threatening to kill himself.

"While speaking with her, he drove past me. I tried stopping him with lights and sirens and he had no response, drove in front of his house, fled out of the vehicle and then went into his home," said Summit Hill Borough Police Officer Todd Woodward.

Police say Evans barricaded himself inside the home on East Richards Street. It took state troopers about eight hours to get him out. They used tear gas and then entered the home.

"They found him hiding and they took him into custody without incident," said Officer Woodward.

This is not the first run in the police have had with Evans. They've dealt with him in other incidents in the past.

"Back in December of 2012 on a different street, he held up. He filled the house with propane and threatened to blow the block up."

Police say Evans has a history of mental illness and a drug problem.

Neighbors hope something like this never happens again in their neighborhood.

"After two times, there's no excuse for this," said Joe Kosalko. "The man needs help and that's all I can say right now. It's scary. It's just a good thing nobody got hurt. That's all I can say is that nobody got hurt."

Evans will be held at the hospital for three days. He will then undergo a psychological evaluation before he will be charged for running away from police.

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