The night before he barricaded himself in his house and forced a SWAT standoff, a Gwinnett County man threatened family members at his Buford home, police said Wednesday.
Family members told police that responded Monday that Stephen Morgan, 29, was schizophrenic, Gwinnett police Sgt. Jake Smith said Wednesday. They said Morgan had a knife, and he brandished it in front of the officers but did not threaten them directly, Smith said.
At that point, police got warrants for simple assault and terroristic threats and acts.
On Tuesday, officers learned Morgan was at his residence. They responded, confirmed that family members were outside the house and tried to call Morgan outside.
Police said Morgan was acting erratically and would not come out. Family members said he still had the knife and that there was a gun in the home.
Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence and notified the SWAT team.
“Morgan continued to refuse to come out, and sent threatening text messages to his family,” Smith said. “Among those texts was a message threatening to kill police officers.”
Smith also said, “Negotiators had intermittent contact with Morgan, during which it became apparent that Morgan was suffering from a mental health problem.”
About 3 p.m., SWAT officers fired gas rounds into the house.
“Morgan began speaking with negotiators at that point, and said he wished to surrender,” Smith said.
He was taken into custody without further incident about 3:30 p.m.
Morgan is charged with simple assault, terroristic threats and acts, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, police said.
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