BR woman engages in standoff with police

A Baton Rouge woman in her early 40s engaged in a standoff with police officers and SWAT members Sunday afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Police were called to the house in the 1100 block of Ashbourne Drive at 3:45 p.m. after shots were fired, said Cpl. L’Jean McKneely. The woman, who was not identified, barricaded herself in her house and refused to come out, he said.

Baton Rouge Police’s Special Weapons and Tactics team spent the afternoon negotiating with the woman, trying to get her to come out, McKneely said, adding there were no hostage.

Hundreds of vehicles drove by on Sherwood Forest Boulevard to see police cars blocking off several streets, and uniformed officers directing traffic to keep people from stopping to look. The police lights attracted a large throng of onlookers, standing two blocks away.

Police officials said at 8 p.m. Sunday that the standoff could last late into the night.