Ax-wielding man who tried to break into Ark City police station subdued by Taser

An ax-wielding man was subdued with a Taser during a SWAT standoff after he apparently tried to break into a Kansas police station.

The Arkansas City Police Department said in a series of social media updates Sunday afternoon that officers arrested a suspect after an armed standoff at the police station at 117 W. Central. During the incident, people were asked to stay away from the area.

Police Chief Dan Ward said in a news release that Douglas R. Gleaves, 38, went into the lobby of the police department at around 12:48 p.m. He was armed with a long-handled ax and swung the weapon at an interior door to a secured part of the building.

Officers responding to the scene saw Gleaves outside with the ax and yelling at them. They set up a perimeter and tried to talk him down as a SWAT team was called. The hours-long standoff primarily took place in the lobby area of the police department.

Gleaves went out of the building at around 3:14 p.m., and one of the law enforcement officers used a Taser to subdue him. The rural Cowley County man was treated and released by paramedics, then taken to a medical center for a mental health evaluation. Police said there were no injuries.

Gleaves was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, criminal damage to property and criminal threat.

This story was originally published April 5, 2020 at 2:46 PM.