Police defuse hostage crisis at southwest valley home

ment responded about 12:10 p.m. to the 7000 block of Clearwater Avenue, near West Flamingo Road and South Rainbow Boulevard, for calls of a domestic disturbance between a man and a woman.

The woman escaped the home uninjured, police said. She told arriving officers the man was inside the home threatening family members, Metro Lt. Laura Meltzer said.

A 12-year-old girl was seen inside with the man who was “very agitated and armed with a very large knife,” Meltzer said. Police later learned an- other person, a teenager, also may have been inside.

The suspect was taken into custody without injury about 3:40 p.m., police said. Metro’s SWAT unit and crisis negotiators were at the scene for more than three hours trying to get him out of the home, Meltzer said.

The 12-year-old girl was not harmed, police said. There was no information immediately available about the teenager believed to be inside. Meltzer said at the scene the teenager may have exited the resi- dence before the man was taken into custody.

Diskin Elementary School, which is just south of the residence, was on lockdown while police worked, Clark County School District Police Capt. Ken Young said.

Meltzer said further details would not be released until the man is booked and interviewed by detectives. Review-Journal writers Wesley Juhl and Lawren Linehan contributed to this report. Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.