[Update: Sun., Jan. 26, 2025, 5pm] The Santa Barbara Police Department has released additional details about Friday’s hours-long standoff at an apartment complex on Garden Street, including the identity of the suspect.
According to a press release, S.B. police received multiple 9-1-1 calls at around 8 a.m. about a subject who had assaulted several residents at an apartment complex on the 600 block of Garden Street. When officers arrived at the scene, they learned that one resident, 47-year-old Donovan Madden, had allegedly threatened and physically assaulted three other residents of the complex. When the officers arrived, Madden reportedly retreated to his apartment and refused to come out, the press release stated.
A Santa Barbara Police Department Co-Response Team consisting of an officer and a licensed mental-health clinician responded to assist. A co-response officer established phone communication with Madden, who told the officer he would not surrender and repeatedly ended the phone calls. Additional Crisis Negotiation Response Team members responded to assist. “Officers were relentless in maintaining phone communication with Madden,” according to the press release.
After nearly eight hours of negotiations, Madden surrendered peacefully and was arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, kidnapping, attempted residential burglary, and resisting arrest. As of Sunday, he remains in county jail with bail set at $500,000, according to court records.
[Update: Fri., Jan. 24, 2025, 5:05pm] The Santa Barbara Police Department issued an alert at 4:48 p.m. that the standoff on the 600 block of Garden Street “has been safely resolved” and the public no longer needs to avoid the area. No further information was provided.
[Original Story] Santa Barbara Police Department issued a warning late Friday morning for members of the public to avoid the area near Garden and Ortega streets, where police officers are currently “in communications with a barricaded assault suspect” in a nearby apartment complex.
The Police Department issued the alert around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, asking the public to avoid this area until further notice due to a moderate-level incident and “possible threat to life or property.”
An hour later at 11:30 a.m., a second alert was issued informing people that the incident was still ongoing, though there was no longer a public safety concern outside the building. The public is still encouraged to avoid the area near 600 Garden Street to allow police and emergency responders to work safely.
No other information is available at this time.
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