Behind the Badge
The Tustin PD on Wednesday successfully ended a three-hour standoff with a man suspected of wielding an axe and brandishing a rifle at two relatives who came to the home to do repairs.
The incident put a neighborhood on high alert until negotiators got the man to peacefully surrender.
The suspect, Timothy Greenwald, 29, was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and brandishing a replica weapon.
The incident, in the 13000 block of North Yorba Street near Laurie Lane, began at 8:45 a.m. July 12 and required the involvement of the Tustin/Irvine SWAT Team as well as air support from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.
No shots were fired, and no one was injured.
Greenwald encountered the two victims while they prepared to do some work at the house, the TPD said. A dispute erupted and the suspect, who is known to the victims and had been staying at the home, swung an axe toward the two, the TPD said.
As the victims were leaving the home, Greenwald made verbal threats about shooting them with a rifle. The victims told officers he retrieved a rifle from inside the home and brandished the weapon.
During the standoff, residents were advised by police from the ground and air to stay inside their homes, while others were told to avoid the area.
At around 9 a.m., members of the joint Tustin/Irvine PD SWAT team made contact with the suspect and began negotiating with him.
After almost three hours, Greenwald agreed to come out to the officers and was taken into custody without incident.
“They really did an outstanding job,” Tustin PD Lt. Bob Wright said of the SWAT negotiators.
