Waukesha, WI - A swat team response disrupted a neighborhood in the city of Waukesha.
It happened Sunday just before 11 p.m. near Wisconsin and Maple —ending with one person behind bars.
“He was armed and had weapons in the house and [police told him] to come out with his hands up, that went on for maybe about two hours,” Wanda Garcia said.
This was after another neighbor reported a woman was battered by her boyfriend. Waukesha police said when attempting to arrest the suspect he refused to leave the home —trapping Garcia in her apartment upstairs.
“I didn’t even know where to move above my apartment, where to stand," said Garcia. "I didn't know what weapons he did have, I didn’t know if there was a bomb."
According to Garcia, the couple has a history of domestic violence and the suspect is known to be extremely violent using weapons in the past.
Police were able to get the women out of the house along with other neighbors. The Waukesha Police Department Tactical Unit deployed pepper spray to get the suspect to leave the home.
“[I was thinking of] prayer, a lot of prayer," Garcia said. "I called my daughter or text my daughter on the phone and told her the situation."
October is domestic violence awareness month and to raise public awareness, the Women’s Center and the Waukesha Police Department have partnered to call attention to the prevalence of domestic violence in Waukesha County.
The Women’s Center encourages anyone who is impacted by domestic or sexual violence to contact the 24-hour hotline at the number: 262.542.3828.
