Standoff with police ends peacefully

A five-hour standoff between an man claiming to be armed and Spokane police ended peacefully on Friday night after police negotiators were able to persuade the man to come out of his mother’s north Spokane home. The 50-year-old man, who was not identified, was taken to a local hospital for mental health evaluation. Police were called to the home at about 5 p.m. after the man had barricaded the doors to his mother’s home and threatened to burn the house down. Officers evacuated nearby homes, and mental health professionals were called to assist, as well as the Spokane Fire Department. Negotiators were able to speak to the man by telephone and convinced him to come out of the home at about 10 p.m., police said.