An hours-long standoff in West Scranton ended with tactical officers storming a third-floor apartment Thursday evening to take an armed parole violator into custody.
Units including the Scranton Police Department Special Operations and Lackawanna County SWAT were deployed to 1127 Luzerne St. to secure a perimeter of the residence early Thursday afternoon, providing tactical support to U.S. Marshals Task Force Officers.
The federal officers were there to arrest Harold Gonzalez, who violated his parole after spending time in prison for serious felony charges, Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll said.
Gonzalez, 54, was armed and barricaded himself inside a third-floor apartment of the residence. Shortly after the incident began early in the afternoon, Gonzalez took to Facebook and livestreamed officers outside his window.
The brief livestreams continued throughout the afternoon, serving to provide law enforcement officers with a glimpse inside the apartment, Carroll said.
At about 5:45 p.m., when tactical officers entered the building, Gonzalez could be heard saying, “They’re coming in, no matter what happens, we have this video.”
After a nearly six-hour standoff, it was necessary for officers to use chemical munitions to take Gonzalez into custody, who continued to resist officers as he was being taken into custody, Carroll said.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” he added.
Gonzalez was turned over to the U.S. Marshals following his arrest and will face additional charges following the standoff.
The incident put West Scranton High School on a secure lockdown throughout the day, with students dismissed on their normal schedule.
Carroll pointed out although the standoff closed part of Luzerne Street and parents were concerned, the department worked with the high school and their was limited impact on students.