LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Niagara County Sheriff's Office says one man is in custody following an overnight standoff on the Tuscarora Nation.
It started around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday when Lewiston police officers responded to a domestic violence incident with shots fired in a home near the intersection of Mt. Hope and Walmore roads.
Police encountered a man with a rifle when they arrived there and say he fired shots before their arrival. The department says the responding officers initially thought the man's wife and daughter were in the home but learned that they had left before police arrived.
They began negotiating with the suspect and about an hour later, a sheriff's office response team arrived with a hostage negotiator.
The sheriff's office says its response team arrived at the scene about an hour later and began hostage negotiations.
Negotiations continued for several hours and throughout the night, officers say the man fired rounds several times, though it was not clear who he fired at.
By 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, the area surrounding the intersection was closed as crews continued negotiating.
Avoid the area of Mount Hope Road and Walmore Road in the Town of Lewiston until further notice due to a Police Incident. https://t.co/UQ0gUwpRLg
— Niagara Sheriff (@NiagaraSheriff) December 8, 2021
The sheriff's office says at about 7:30 a.m., a SWAT team fired gas into the house and the man came outside.
He was taken into custody without incident.
Due to the close proximity of the incident to the Tuscarora Indian Elementary, the school was closed for the day Wednesday. It is expected to reopen normally Thursday.
The sheriff's office says the suspect is being held in Niagara County Jail and is awaiting charges, pending his arraignment Wednesday evening.
