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Deputies Baker Act St. Petersburg man following an hours-long standoff

Posted at 11:21 PM, Aug 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-19 07:40:32-04

Pinellas County deputies took a man into protective custody using the Baker Act after he allegedly fired a gun multiple times inside his home and got into an hours-long standoff with officers.

Around 8:30 p.m. Thursday deputies responded to a domestic dispute at the Fairhaven Mobile Home Park at 66th Street North in unincorporated St. Petersburg.

The wife of the 72-year-old homeowner told deputies she got into an argument with her husband. She said her husband then armed himself with a handgun and began firing it inside the home.

The wife said she left the home fearing for her safety, leaving her husband alone inside the house.

After hearing additional gunfire coming from the home, deputies evacuated neighboring homes.

Deputies say over the next three hours they attempted multiple times to contact the man with little success.  Finally around 11:40 p.m. deputies made contact with the man and safely took him into custody.

Paramedics transported the man to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.

A portion of 66th Street was closed during the standoff but the road has since reopened.