Van Nuys Man Held After 4-Hour Standoff at Apartment

A 35-year-old man was arrested early Sunday after holding another man hostage and barricading himself in his Van Nuys apartment for nearly four hours, Los Angeles police said.

Chester Shipmon, 35, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon about 6:30 a.m. Shipmon surrendered after Los Angeles police SWAT team members fired tear gas into his apartment in the 15300 block of Weddington Street, Officer Robert H. Knemeyer said.

Shipmon refused orders to leave his apartment, telling officers to “come and get me,” Knemeyer said. Police evacuated neighboring apartments before firing the tear gas, officers said.

Neighbors called police at 2:30 a.m. after hearing a gunshot from Shipmon’s apartment, officers said. A 42-year-old man, who was not identified, was held hostage for about an hour after police arrived but was released unharmed, police said.