Man thought to be barricaded in Fresno home wasn’t after all

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)- After nine hours and a SWAT callout, the man deputies sought for firing a weapon inside his home was determined not to be inside after all, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office says.

The incident originated as a report of a disturbance around 4 a.m. Saturday in the neighborhood of Jackson and Yale Avenues in east-central Fresno.

Investigators said a male resident reportedly fired a gun inside the home.

The others who were inside at the time evacuated safely but deputies believed the man remained inside.

The sheriff’s office says the Crisis Negotiation Team and patrol deputies were initially unsuccessful in convincing the man to surrender, so the decision was made to call in additional resources.

Around 1 p.m. the sheriff’s office says the SWAT team finished clearing the house and was unable to locate the suspect.

However, detectives say they know the man’s identity and will continue to look for him.

The area was saturated with law enforcement personnel and their vehicles, and the public was asked to avoid it.

The neighborhood has since been reopened.