Standoff in northeast Spokane ends peacefully

Police took a man into custody this morning after an eight-hour standoff in which he allegedly fired a gun inside his northeast Spokane home. Early morning traffic was blocked for several hours near the home’s perimeter where the man, identified as 51-year-old Steven Zimmerman, barricaded himself inside his home in the 4300 block of East Fairview Avenue. Police say the domestic violence situation escalated and led to Zimmerman’s wife and 19-year-old son fleeing the home before calling 911 around midnight. Police feared he was armed and a threat to the family so police stood by for several hours while SWAT attempted to make contact, but the man did not respond, police said. Some neighbors were notified of the standoff by calls to their cell phones. They were told by police to stay away from the windows in their homes. A bomb robot was used to initiate contact, but that failed as well. Pepper spray canisters were shot inside the home, breaking the front windows. Zimmerman was taken into custody just before 8 a.m. when he was found inside the home’s detached garage. Police believe he may have been intoxicated during the standoff.