A suspect in an early morning standoff is in custody after a crisis negotiation team peacefully convinced the suspect to stand down at an apartment along 6th Street Monday morning.
Charlottesville police and SWAT team members were also on scene for the seven-hour standoff.
Police responded to a reported breaking and entering around 2:00 a.m. at an apartment on 6th Street between Blenheim Avenue and Bolling Avenue.
Police say this was sparked by a domestic dispute that happened over the weekend between 53-year-old Gregory Washington and a woman he's involved with. They both left the apartment shortly after the disagreement, but he returned around 1:40 Monday morning. That's when police received calls from neighbors of a man breaking and entering an apartment.
"It is, I wouldn't say standard, but the thing that we look for is a successful conclusion. There's nobody harmed, and that everybody gets out safely, and nobody gets harmed at all. That's the number one priority," said Lieutenant Ronnie Roberts with the Charlottesville Police Department.
Washington gave himself up after seven hours of negotiation. Roberts said, "It is a lot of work and a lot of patience on everybody's part. I mean, both our side and his side, its a open communication line what really works."
One woman - who did not want to be identified - has worked with Washington for years and says despite some recent altercations, he is not a bad guy.
"Knowing Greg and I know his wife too. She is a very sweet girl and they just had some family problems that got a little, you know, out of hand."
Meanwhile, neighbors are relieved things ended peacefully and his co-worker is hoping he can get the help he needs.
She said, "I think he just needs a little you know evaluation, mental you know people go through little problems and it just be too hard for their mind and someone to just check him out because he's not a bad guy at all."
Even though Washington told police he had a gun, no weapon was recovered. He has been charged with violation of a protective order and breaking and entering at nighttime.
Gregory Washington, 53, charged with violation of a protective order and breaking and entering at nighttime.
Standoff situation ends - suspect emerges under a white trash bag.
