Disturbance at Camp Meeker home prompts large police presence

A noisy argument at a West County residence Wednesday morning turned into a more than six-hour impasse after the couple inside did not answer deputies’ attempts to contact them, prompting SWAT and hostage negotiation teams to respond.

The disturbance, described to deputies as loud arguing that began the previous night, was reported to authorities about 7:11 a.m. in the area of Hampton Road and East Avenue in Camp Meeker, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Juan Valencia said.

Deputies tried to talk to a man and woman inside the home when they arrived but got no response, Valencia said.

Additional deputies were sent to help, including SWAT team and hostage negotiators, and a perimeter was set up around the home, Valencia said. A Sheriff’s Office bulletin asked residents to leave the area or stay indoors as deputies tried to contact the pair, Valencia added.

Hostage negotiators used a loudspeaker to try to talk to the man and the woman inside to no avail, Valencia said. Deputies then entered the house and detained both at about 1:40 p.m. Valencia did not have additional information about how deputies contacted the couple as of Tuesday afternoon, he said.

The pair were being questioned by authorities Wednesday afternoon and an investigation was ongoing, Valencia said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com.