Roger
Photo: Edhat Reader Lindsay
A Santa Barbara woman has been arrested following the standoff on Encore Drive Tuesday morning.
Santa Barbara Police have confirmed that Heather Ann Erickson, 48, was arrested for felony assault of a police officer and a misdemeanor of resisting arrest.
The incident began Monday evening when a Santa Barbara Police received reports of a woman flashing a weapon at La Cumbre Plaza. The woman, suspected to be Erickson, hid from police before leading them on a chase around 3:00 a.m. that ended at her home in the 3400 block of Encore Drive.
A SWAT team was called to the scene as Erickson barricaded herself inside her vehicle with weapons.
Roger the Scanner Guy reported stated the suspect had a very large knife and was threatening to harm herself. Erickson and the police communicated through written messages as the standoff lasted nearly 8 hours. After 11:00 a.m. she surrendered and was safely taken into custody.
This was a textbook example of an 8-hour de-escalation, said Anthony Wagner, Public Information Officer at the Santa Barbara Police Department.
“In this national dialogue, where so much scrutiny is placed how officers respond at pivotal moments, our training taught us to slow things down to moment by moment – until a successful outcome. Think of it flipped, our SWAT team and all the apparatus was also there to ‘rescue’ this individual — suffering an acute mental health challenge,” said Wagner.
Erickson’s bail has been set at $50,000 and she will be transported to Santa Barbara County Jail following a mental health evaluation.
It always feels like it works at first.
3000-3900 blocks of State Street generate far more than their fair share of police calls and crime reports. What is going on here.
we don’t need another unnecessary killing by police like they did in Hope Ranch…..
OOPS, you must be referring to the young man in Hope Ranch who had just brutally stabbed his mother to death. He was hiding on the property in the dark. What do you think the deputies ought to have done? Their response was entirely appropriate. Given the circumstances, the deputies had no choice because the suspect left them with no choice. I think a lot of people do not understand just how dangerous a knife attack can be. In close proximity, a knife can be faster and more lethal than a gun. Even from an initial distance of 20-30 feet, a knife can be faster than a gun. The limited time to react to a knife attack requires a rapid and decisive response. Here is a classic video demonstration of just how quick and deadly a knife attack can be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y49rv3QBtkk
Non lethal does not always work especially in this woman’s state or on drug or alcohol users I know I have been bought down by the police before I have been on the negative side of the coin. People that know me know this to be true.
EMINENCE: The number of rounds is totally appropriate. Guns do not work as they are depicted in movies. Multiple shots are often required to achieve one hit, especially when firing under the stress of being attacked. In addition, multiple hits are often required to stop an attacker. The situation required each deputy to react by rapidly firing multiple rounds in order to ensure the suspect, who had just stabbed his mother to death, was not able to harm them. The deputies had to go into an extremely dangerous situation knowing the suspect was likely armed and dangerous. They acted appropriately and professionally under extremely challenging circumstances. They certainly didn’t want to shoot the suspect, they had no choice. The deputies were faced with an ugly situation and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for their service.