WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) – A dangerous convicted felon gave himself up after a holding a long, drawn-out standoff with West Valley police Tuesday afternoon.
People who watched the standoff end, saw the SWAT team escort a shirtless 36-year-old Robert Browne in police custody.
“We’re thrilled it worked out the way it did,” said Lt. Scott Buchanan, West Valley Police Dept.
Just before Noon police said Browne got into a fight with his roommates at 5920 W. Nugget Dr. in West Valley City. Browne threatened them with a knife and had guns in the house, so they called police, but when officers arrived Browne wouldn’t come out.
“Our officers used a less lethal device, a 45mm beanbag round, to try to incapacitate him for moment so we could take him into custody, that round was not completely effective. He was able to get back into his house and close the door,” said Browne.
The standoff put nearby Hillside Elementary into lockdown, and forced parents to come pick up their children.
“It makes me nervous, because you don’t know what’s going on,” said one parent.
“We’ve never seen this type of situation before,” said another parent.
“You never know what someone is capable of, if there are weapons in the house,” said a third parent.
On-lookers were worried. One of them was the mother of Browne’s adult daughter.
“I just know that he’s a good person and he does good things, just bad things have happened to him,” said Dawnae Martinez, Browne’s ex-girlfriend.
“So he’s the victim in this situation?” Reporter Brian Carlson asked.
“He’s the victim of himself,” replied Martinez.
Finally, after hours of refusing to cooperate with police, Browne gave himself up.
“He just said he was ready to come outside,” said Buchanan.
Police took Browne into custody, and he’s expected to be booked into jail.
As of Tuesday evening, it’s uncertain what type of charges Browne will face.
