A standoff in Damascus ended peacefully after a five-and-a-half-hour negotiation with Montgomery County Police SWAT and crisis negotiators. Authorities arrested 28-year-old Brandon Lee Clayton early Tuesday. The standoff began around 7:15 p.m. Monday when deputies attempted to serve him arrest warrants at a Mullinix Road residence.
According to the Montgomery County Police Department, earlier attempts to serve a court order to Clayton on Saturday had been met with resistance and threats of arson from the suspect. The deputies, along with MCPD 5th District officers, initially disengaged and planned to revisit the situation. Upon their return two days later, Clayton had barricaded himself inside the home, and during the standoff, he continued to threaten to set the property on fire and made attempts to ignite various items inside. His mother, who was also inside the house, initially refused to heed MCPD’s request to exit the dwelling.
MCPD's SWAT and crisis negotiation teams were called in to de-escalate the situation. After several hours of discussion, Clayton’s mother safely left the house. Clayton surrendered shortly after, ending the standoff around 1:42 a.m. Tuesday.
After surrendering, Clayton was taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit and is being held pending a bond hearing.
