STROUD TOWNSHIP, PA—A man is facing multiple charges after a nearly eight-hour standoff with police in Stroud Township that began with him allegedly destroying a community sign with a hammer.
According to the Stroud Area Regional Police Department (SARPD), officers responded to a call at about 11:35 a.m. yesterday on Walnut Grove Road. The report was of a man, identified as 29-year-old Alexander Ball of East Stroudsburg, who was reportedly using a hammer to destroy the Walnut Grove community sign.
Upon arrival, officers attempted to make contact with Ball, who had retreated inside his home. They reported hearing him screaming, breaking things, and yelling obscenities from inside the residence. Police also observed a woman, later confirmed to be Ball’s mother, who appeared visibly distressed inside the home.
The situation escalated into a lengthy standoff, leading police to call in a SWAT team. The standoff concluded peacefully around 7:30 p.m. when SWAT officers entered the residence and took Ball into custody without further incident.
Ball is now facing several charges, including unlawful restraint and false imprisonment, in connection with the standoff.