An initial call about a motorcycle on fire outside a Denair home on Monday afternoon soon became a long standoff between the homeowner and deputies from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.

After four hours the standoff came to an end when the suspect, identified as Hurshel Vernon Myers, 59, came out of his home. He still did not comply with the orders from law enforcement and was taken into custody after a brief struggle and with the use of K9 Renzo.

The call began at 2:25 p.m. Monday when several neighbors and people passing by called 911 to report that a motorcycle was on fire in the driveway of a home in the 2900 block of Salluce Drive in Denair.

Firefighters and patrol deputies were dispatched to the residence and were soon told that there was an argument happening between a man and a woman outside the home and that there was a possibility the man was armed. The man was later identified as Myers and the woman was his wife. 

As firefighters and patrol deputies began arriving on-scene, they were able to get the fire under control, and take the woman away to a place of safety.  Myers began threatening emergency first responders with great bodily injury or death while still armed with a firearm, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office quickly established containment of the residence, surrounded it with a perimeter, and began bringing in other outside resources to help with peacefully resolving the situation. Negotiations were sporadic and difficult to establish with Myers, who was barricaded inside refusing to surrender.  

Deputies were able to obtain a search and arrest warrant, which were authorized by a local superior court judge.  Myers was alleged to have committed felony criminal threats, weapons brandishing, as well as resisting, delaying, obstructing, and threatening peace officers. 

The standoff lasted until 6:37 p.m., which was when Myers finally came outside. 

“He did not follow the commands of SWAT team operators and patrol deputies who were positioned out front,” said sheriff spokesman Sgt. Luke Schwartz in a news release. “A short struggle ensued in the yard near our armored truck.  K9 Renzo was used to help apprehend and detain Myers in the driveway.”

Myers was treated, transported and admitted to a local area hospital for the dog bite injuries he sustained during arrest.  Myers was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for the charges previously described and held in lieu of $150,000 bond set forth in the warrant.  

“Pursuant to the search warrant, the sheriff’s office seized 17 firearms and hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds of ammunition for evidence and general safekeeping,” Schwartz said. “We thank all of those who participated in today’s critical incident response and are grateful this situation did not escalate or devolve into something much worse.”