Hatchet​-Wielding Man Prompts 7-Hour Standoff At Santee Walmart

SANTEE, CA — A man was arrested after threatening to hurt people at the Walmart in Santee, sparking a seven-hour standoff with authorities.

The incident started around noon Sunday at the Walmart at 170 Town Center in Santee, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

The 22-year-old man entered the store and went to the sporting goods department, where he climbed on top of the shelving and armed himself with workout dumbbells. The man threatened to use them as weapons, sheriff's officials said in a news release.

"When deputies from the Santee Sheriff's Station arrived on the scene, the man was in possession of two knives and a hatchet," officials said. "He made threats to kill deputies and told them he wanted deputies to kill him."

The store was evacuated and closed, and the sheriff's SWAT and crisis negotiations teams were called to the scene.

"During negotiations, deputies determined the man was experiencing a mental health crisis," officials said. "The man refused to drop his weapons and refused to come down off the shelving. He told deputies several times to shoot him and walked toward them with the hatchet raised."

Deputies negotiated a peaceful surrender after seven hours, officials said. No one was hurt in the incident.

The man was arrested and taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.