AKRON, Ohio — An Akron man is in custody after police say he threatened officers and started a fire inside his apartment during a SWAT situation.
The incident began Tuesday around 11:15 p.m., when officers spotted a woman jumping from a moving vehicle near LaCroix Avenue and W. Thornton Street.
Officers stopped the car to question the driver, identified as 40-year-old Rolando Lopez. As he was being questioned, Lopez sped off, leaving his passenger behind.
The woman told officers she and Lopez were dating and had an argument before she jumped from the car. According to the police report, the woman denied any physical altercation had happened, though officers observed scratches on her face and neck.
Officers soon found Lopez's vehicle in the 1000 block of Bristol Terr. When officers entered the apartment, Lopez ran into the basement, where he barricaded himself inside with a gun.
Police say Lopez made threats to harm himself and officers, indicating he would set fire to or blow up the home.
Lopez also threatened to pull the gas line as he set a small fire inside the apartment, which was later extinguished. Authorities evacuated nearby homes and hours of negotiations followed.
Lopez eventually surrendered to officers and was arrested on charges of failure to comply, aggravated menacing, obstructing official business and having weapons under disability. Police say he also had several felony warrants for weapons charges.
When officers recovered the weapon, they determined it was a BB gun.
