A man on parole was arrested today at Veterans Park after a nearly five-hour SWAT standoff, police said.
Shortly before 7:15 a.m., officers at Veterans Park for a scheduled encampment cleanup encountered a man with a no-bail parole warrant, according to Long Beach police.
The man claimed to be armed and refused to exit his tent, police said.
Officers established a perimeter and called in a SWAT team, which attempted to get the man to surrender, police said.
Shortly before 12:10 p.m., the man came out and surrendered. Police said they did not find a gun on him. His name and age were not immediately available.
Long Beach regularly cleans out encampments as a public health measure and to make sure “public spaces can be utilized by the entire community,” according to city protocol.
Police, who can cite or arrest people who refuse to leave, generally accompany homeless outreach and cleanup workers during the sweeps.
