No one hurt after police standoff in Sanger

SANGER, Calif. (KFSN) -- A tense standoff in a Sanger neighborhood Sunday afternoon ended with a suspect in custody.

Deputies were called to the scene near Rainbow Route and Newmark Avenue after a man started firing shots into the air and at a neighbor's home. The man, who has a history of mental illness, barricaded himself in a home as authorities arrived.

The call first came in around 4 p.m. at the 1800 block of South Rainbow Route.

Cruiser after cruiser poured into the small Sanger community. Witnesses say there were so many deputies that the dust could hardly settle.

"Shots," neighbor Danny Castro exclaimed. "First, it sounded like up in the air and then sideways."

Families say a neighbor started firing randomly his gun, with several bullets hitting a home.

"We ended up calling our crisis negotiation team along with our SWAT team," Lt. Ron Hayes with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. "We tried to talk the subject out of his residence."

Deputies say they are familiar with the suspect.

He has a history of mental illness and more than two dozens officers from several departments responded.

Neighbors were also alerted as a precaution.

"They told us to evacuate the area," Castro said. "There might be some shooting, to be safe and come out with everybody else."

Deputies ended up using tear gas, and just after 8:30 p.m. officers say the suspect came out through his front door and surrendered.

"We have the subject detained," Hayes said. "He is being evaluated by EMS."

Neighbors say rather than fear, they are concerned about the situation.

They the man who fired the shots isn't a bad guy, just a friend who needs help.

"He has to be in a place where he can get help and someone can give him his medication," Castro said.