UPDATE: Plaza Drive Standoff Ends 'Without Further Incident or Injury'

UPDATE 11:15 p.m. An hours-long standoff at a Smyrna home has ended "without further incident or injury," said Smyrna police. Public Information Officer Michael Smith said Jonathan Gilmer, 34, of Smyrna, exited his residence after being barricaded inside since 12:30 p.m. Friday when officers deployed CS/OC gas into the home.

Gilmer was taken to Kennestone Hospital for evaluation and treatment from exposure to the gas and charges are pending. Earlier reports said the subject was barricaded inside an apartment, but in fact it was a home on Plaza Drive between South Cobb Drive and Concord Road.

Police initially responded to the home at about 12:30 p.m. Friday after a relative of the subject asked officers to do a welfare check. The family member said Gilmer was suicidal, Smyrna’s Public Information Officer Michael Smith reported.

Gilmer failed to respond to police, but later called a family member to say he was armed and would shoot anyone who came to the door, Smith said previously. Emergency Service Units, hostage negotiators and ultimately the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Units were called to the scene.

Negotiators eventually made contact with Gilmer by phone who exited the home with a handgun, however in an email Smith noted that he didn’t threaten officers with the weapon and only threatened to use it on himself.

Gilmer re-entered the home at which time Smith said deputies deployed a tactical robot in an attempt to make further contact with him. When these efforts failed the decision was made to deploy CS/OC gas. 

UPDATE 7:30 p.m. Smyrna police continue to block access to Plaza Drive at South Cobb Drive and Old Concord Road while Tactical Units attempt to negotiate with a subject barricaded inside an apartment who is said to be armed and suicidal.

Police are not identifying the subject at this time. Smyrna-Vinings Patch will have more updates as they are available.

UPDATE 6 p.m. Police have still not identified the subject barricaded inside a Smyrna apartment on Plaza Drive. Emergency Services Units and hostage negotiators are on the scene, though Smyrna’s Public Information Officer Michael Smith emphasized that this is not a hostage situation.

“We call in Emergency Services Units, that’s our SWAT team and hostage negotiators who have the skills to deal with people who are in crisis,” he said. “We don’t have a hostage situation. It’s just one subject barricaded inside. When we say barricaded we’re not talking about he’s fortified the house in any fashion. It’s when somebody is unresponsive to us and doesn’t come out.”

A relative of the subject notified police Friday morning that they had not heard from their family member and asked officers to do a welfare check. They alerted police that the subject was suicidal and possibly armed.

Smyrna police have been on the scene since 12:30 p.m. Smith said the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Units had been called to the scene to relieve some of the Smyrna officers.

“It’s a hot day and we’re concerned about the welfare of our folks as well—staying hydrated and fatigued and that type of thing,” he said. “So we’re going to start rotating so people can get some rest, stay hydrated get some food.”

Smyrna-Vinings Patch will have more details as they’re made available.

ORGINAL STORY 5:30 p.m. Smyrna police are on the scene at an apartment complex off South Cobb Drive where an unidentified person has barricaded themself inside. The subject has told family members that he is armed and will shoot anyone who comes to the door, though police emphasize that this is not a hostage situation.

Smyrna’s Public Information Officer Michael Smith said in an email that Smyrna’s Emergency Services Unit and negotiators are on the scene. He said police were called to the apartment on Plaza Drive at 12:30 p.m. Friday after a relative of the subject requested police check the apartment. The relative told police the subject was possibly suicidal and armed.

The subject did not respond to police, but later called family members to say that he was armed and would shoot police or family who came to the door.

Smyrna-Vinings Patch will have more details as they’re available.