UPATE: LAPD Removes Man Barricaded in Encino Apartment

Editor's Note: Patch's Anthony Pardines was on the scene for nearly three hours.

At approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday night, a man allegedly forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's apartment on the 5100 block of White Oak Avenue, police said. He is reported to have possibly assaulted this woman with a deadly weapon, such as a kitchen knife.   

The ex-girlfriend somehow escaped the apartment, and LAFD and LAPD were called to the scene.

Upon arrival, West Valley LAPD patrol units immediately blocked off White Oak Avenue and set-up a perimeter to contain the alleged assailant, who barricaded himself in the ex-girlfriend's bedroom.   

Because of the barricade situation, LAPD's Metro Division Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was assigned to the incident. They set up a command post in front of the large apartment complex where the man barricaded himself in one of the units. 

From speaking with the assault victim, LAPD learned that the man was not armed with any sort of firearm; he was believed to be armed only with a kitchen knife. LAPD also learned that the man is known to be schizophrenic, and although he takes medication for the disorder, it appeared he may have stopped doing so.  

LAPD officers "door knocked" on the neighboring apartment units and asked residents to evacuate the premises as a precautionary measure to an eventual tear gas release in the building. Several evacuees were seen standing on the street corners of White Oak Avenue. 

LAFD was stationed nearby for fire safety. Police officers on the scene planned their strategy, and even figured out steps in case the man self-inflicted knife wounds.

Around 11:30 p.m., SWAT members carried out their tactic to get the man by shooting several tear gas canisters into the ex-girlfriend's apartment. A SWAT officer observed that the man seemed to be affected by the tear gas, and saw him attempt to open up his barricade, but noticed that the man was struggling to remove the barricade objects so he can open the door.   

After several moments, the man eventually got through his own barricade to open the front door. At around midnight, the man surrendered to awaiting SWAT officers. 

One of the SWAT officers radioed the command post and reported that the man had "cut himself and is bleeding from his right hand." With several police and fire personnel surrounding him, the man was cuffed and taken down to the street level where he was questioned for a while and looked over by paramedics on the scene.  The man was later taken to Tarzana Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

City News Service contributed to this report.