A belligerent and possibly armed man made a scene at a Hillcrest doughnut shop Friday and then refused to leave, prompting evacuations and an hours-long police standoff.
The disturbance at the Donut Star shop in the 600 block of West Washington Street – which tied up traffic in the busy thoroughfare – was reported about 1:30 p.m., according to the San Diego Police Department.
When the disruptive man, who appeared to be a transient, refused repeated orders to leave the business, officers evacuated it, cleared people out of the immediately surrounding area and called in crisis counselors to try to persuade the intruder to surrender.
Police believed the man might be armed with a gun, a kitchen knife and, possibly, a larger bladed implement described as a sword, SDPD Officer Sarah Foster said.
At about 2:30 p.m., police called a SWAT team to the scene and closed the roadway between Dove and Eagle streets as a precaution.
The stalemate continued until shortly after 5 p.m., when officers took the man into custody, Officer Robert Heims said. The suspect’s name was not immediately available.
Updated at 5:36 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. June 16, 2023
City News Service contributed to this article.
