Gunshot In Stafford Neighborhood Draws Crisis Negotiation Team On Thursday: Police

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A crisis negotiation team responded to a home in Stafford on Thursday after residents heard a gunshot. After three hours of negotiation attempts, deputies arrested Joshua Payne.

Payne faces one charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the sheriff's office said. He is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

The incident began around 8:45 p.m. on Thursday night. Deputies responded to a report of a shooting in the Hidden Lake neighborhood.

A person who lived in the neighborhood told police that Payne had a handgun. Payne fired a gunshot when the resident and a child ran away from their shared home, police said.

Deputies established a perimeter around Payne's home. They attempted to contact him through the home phone, his cell phone, and a police car's public address system. Authorities said that Payne did not respond.

Deputies claimed that Payne, a convicted felon, is not allowed to own a firearm. They obtained a warrant for his arrest as negotiators attempted to contact him.

At 11:17 p.m., negotiators spoke with Payne over the phone. He told them he was in Fauquier County, the sheriff's office said. Payne hung up the phone after a few minutes. Deputies "were certain he was still in the home," according to the police report.

At 11:45 p.m., the sheriff's office's armored vehicle moved down the roadway past the home. Payne then exited the home and surrendered to police. The sheriff's office said deputies recovered a pistol from the home.

Payne's next court date is scheduled for March 17.

Have a story idea? Email me at liam.griffin@patch.com with tips, questions, comments, or concerns.