Earlier this morning in Monroe, a tense standoff in the 200 block of West Houston Street ended when police used gas to flush out a man who had allegedly pointed a gun at another person and refused to come out. The department activated both its hostage negotiation team and its Special Response Team, and SRT operators eventually deployed gas into the apartment. The suspect then surrendered to officers. Police said no officers were hurt, and the person who had reportedly been threatened got out of the residence before officers arrived. The man was taken into custody and transported to the county detention center, according to officials.
Police account and arrest details
According to a post on the Monroe Police Department's Facebook page, officers were dispatched to a disturbance at a residence in the 200 block of W. Houston Street early Sunday. When they arrived, they believed the man inside to be armed. The department alleges he had pointed a firearm at another person, threatened to kill that individual if police were called, and then refused to leave the apartment.
Hostage negotiators tried to talk the man into coming out peacefully. After repeated refusals, SRT operators deployed gas into the apartment, and the man surrendered at about 1:55 a.m., the department said in the post. Police identified the arrested man as 43-year-old Alexander Phillip Kaufmann. He was booked under case number 202600748 and then transported to the Union County Detention Center, according to the same account.
Charges and legal snapshot
Monroe police say Kaufmann now faces several charges, including possession of a firearm by a felon, communicating threats, assault by pointing a gun, and simple assault. Under North Carolina law, possession of a firearm by a felon is barred by N.C.G.S. § 14-415.1 and is typically prosecuted as a felony. Pointing a gun at another person is addressed in Chapter 14 of state law and can be treated as a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the circumstances, per the North Carolina General Assembly.
Investigators and prosecutors are still reviewing the case, so more charges or updates could follow. Authorities have not released any information about bond or an initial court appearance.
Police response and neighborhood safety
Monroe Police Chief Rhett Bolen, listed on the City of Monroe police page, praised what the department described as a coordinated response that kept injuries off the tally sheet. The city has relied on trained negotiators and its Special Response Team in previous high-risk incidents as well. A 2025 WBTV report noted a similar SRT deployment in Union County that also ended without any reported injuries.
