Medical call turns into standoff in Washington Twp.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said the report came from a person in the household, who said the man may have been overdosing. Once deputies arrived, they prepared to render potentially life-saving aid to the man as they waited for the Washington Twp. Fire Department to arrive but the man apparently “came out of it” and was able to get up.

“At that point the family advised us that he had gotten to the safe and had gotten to his firearms,” Streck said.

Deputies started hearing firearm slides racking, indicating that he was loading weapons. When the firearms were broadcast over the police radio, a “Signal 99″ for officers in need of assistance call went out.

“Agencies from all over the area responded to assist until we determined that the individual was barricaded and everybody was out of danger, at least for that moment,” Streck said.

Deputies helped to evacuate any neighbors who wanted to leave and had other residents shelter in place at a safe distance.

Communication was maintained with the man throughout the standoff, the sheriff said.

The Montgomery County Regional SWAT team responded on standby to help relieve other deputies, and hostage negotiation teams also responded that spoke with the man until he eventually surrendered peacefully around 4:45 p.m. The man was seen in handcuffs once he came out of the house.

The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment, said Streck.

This was not the first time law enforcement had been to this house, Streck said, but “nothing like this” happened before.

Charges are still to be determined but Streck said the priority is getting the man the help he needs.

“We need to make sure that we have the resources in this county that when we have individuals like this that we have the right places to take them so that these things don’t keep reoccurring,” he said.

Any charges would take into consideration the fact that a “Signal 99″ was issued and that law enforcement had to shut down the area, Streck said. However, that would be reviewed by the prosecutor’s office.

During the standoff, yellow crime tape surrounded a home and cordoned off the street, while neighbors watched outside.

Deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office placed a camera in a window to look inside the home involved.