WINDER - A SWAT standoff in Barrow County ended peacefully this afternoon with the arrest of a Bethlehem man.<br />
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According to a post on the Barrow County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, authorities responded around noon to a 9-1-1 call that reported an unidentified man who was intent on harming himself. Officers arrived at the man's residence on Downing Drive a short time later.<br />
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First responders learned that the resident was armed inside the home, and that the suspect was threatening to shoot any law enforcement official that attempted to intervene in the ordeal. The Sheriff's Office SWAT team was subsequently dispatched to the scene.<br />
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After an hour of failed attempts to establish contact with the man, a trained crisis negotiator was able to initiate a phone conversation with the suspect. Following several conversations between the two, the suspect was convinced to turn himself over to authorities.<br />
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The suspect, who was found to have a concealed weapon on his person when initially exiting the home, was arrested without incident.<br />
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Charges are pending in the case, and more details are expected to be released by authorities in the coming days.
