What initially was described as "a hostage situation" ended peacefully about 10:30 a.m. today when a 31-year-old man surrendered to Burke County sheriff's officers outside 3832 Laurel Heights Drive off N.C. 18 about 1.5 miles south of I-40.
Jason A. Smith, son of the home's co-owner, Kathy J. Smith, earlier fired a gun inside the house and threatened to kill himself.
Sheriff's officers were on the scene for close to seven hours, during which time they got Kathy Smith safely out of the house and then tried to contact Jason Smith. Lt. Becky Weatherman, a trained hostage negotiator in the sheriff's office, talked the man into surrendering about 10:30 a.m.
According to Sheriff John McDevitt, Jason Smith was found drunk last night on the baseball field at Mull Elementary School about 1.5 miles west of the house. State highway patrol officers charged him with D.W.I and took him into custody, subsequently releasing him to his mother.
Back at the house, which Kathy Smith co-owns with Lynn A. Belt, the man fired a gun inside at around 3:30 a.m. The woman told investigators that Jason then put the gun to his head and threatened to commit suicide.
Kathy Smith barricaded herself in a bathroom, according to McDevitt. Officers arrived on the scene and a SWAT team subsequently got the woman out of the house through a window.
Attempts to reach Jason Smith by telephone were unsuccessful, so Weatherman used a PA system to talk to him. Shortly after 10 a.m., Smith came to the front door and subsequently emerged unarmed with his hands up and he was taken into custody.
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